Finished reading "India Unbound" 2weeks ago. The book is written by Gurcharan Das, former CEO of Procter & Gamble. This book is an extensive research on Indian policy, history and the socio-economic state of the country. The journey starts from his birth to India's independence, Nehru's vision & policy - what went wrong with his policies, a subtle comparison to English raj, how the private sector was neglected and industrialists suffered along with the country...a very detailed investigation of it. From Mrs. Indira Gandhi to Narasimha Rao, who at last with the help of Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaram lifted the licence raj and brought the economic revolution by easing foreign exchange restrictions, devaluing the rupee, lowering import tariffs and undoing the byzantine controls that had stifled Indian industry. Mr. Das felt the reforms should have gone further but somehow Narasimha Rao himself was not confident of the change, so could not take the credit of the change fully and lost the election. It was really sad to know about the details and helplessness of the people but at the same time Mr. Das has shown a great hope for India, where change is taking place.
The growth in disposable incomes, and the opening up of the country to world markets, has altered the face of Indian society, creating a new consumer middle class. But with a cost - the dilution of our culture, values and traditions.
I found it a great book if someone is interested to know the policies and background of India from its time of independence. I also read "In spite of the Gods" by Edward Luce. Both the books will be a good collection for anyone's library. Both books talk about the economic growth of India but Mr. Das's book is definitely a work with research and extensive information, whereas Luce's book is more to the point. Mr. Das talks in first person and shares his own experiences of life and perspectives throughout the book.
I am waiting to get my hands on his 2nd book "The Difficulty of Being Good"
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