In a short time, India has proven itself a major economic power,
generating billions for its citizens and for the international community. How did India
become a global market mover? And just as important, how can the Western world tap into
the vast resources of commerce that India has, mine its phenomenal growth potential in a
wide array of industries, and create a profitable relationship with the world’s largest
democracy?
Few authors are as qualified to answer those questions as Kamal Nath. Known at
home and throughout the world as the face of twenty-first century India, as well as a
major architect of India’s reform, Mr. Nath has spent his entire professional life
within the corridors of power, helping to shape the policies that have catapulted his
nation to world prominence.
In India’s Century, Mr. Nath goes beyond the “flatworld” view to reveal
the roots of the Indian economic miracle. With a compelling blend of economic analysis,
political insight, and cultural observation, he traces his nation’s emergence from
colonial rule in 1947 through four decades of planned economies, the gradual
liberalization of India’s economy in the 1990s, and finally, the rise of the Indian
global giant.
Nath also explores his people’s unique can-do attitude (also known as jugaad)
and the ages-old entrepreneurial spirit that is once again free to express itself at every
level of Indian society. Along the way Minister Nath provides understanding for
businesspeople and world policy makers attemptattempting to formulate strategies for
forging a mutually beneficial engagement with India in the twentyfirst century.
India’s Century is must reading for business strategists, public policy
makers, and every thoughtful reader who wishes to understand more about the world’s
largest, most vibrant democracy and the role it is likely to play on the global stage in
the years ahead.
Kamal Nath, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, is widely credited with
raising his country's profile in the global arena. A longtime member of the Congress
Party, over the past three decades he has held a variety of key positions in government,
including General Secretary of the Congress Party, Minister of the Environment and
Forests, and Minister of Textiles. Mr. Nath has emerged as a leader of developing
countries in the current negotiations at the World Trade Organization.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION: My India and Yours
CHAPTER ONE: Calcutta Rules
CHAPTER TWO: Adam Smith Meets Jawaharlal Nehru
CHAPTER THREE: Home-grown and Grown-up
CHAPTER FOUR: Honest Abe and the Mahatma
CHAPTER FIVE: Jungle Stories
CHAPTER SIX: Curry with Chopsticks
CHAPTER SEVEN: Borderless Bazaars
CHAPTER EIGHT: Handicapping Success
CHAPTER NINE: My Tariffs or Yours?
CHAPTER TEN: Patel Motel, Ponytail
EPILOGUE: iPods, iPhones and iBullocks
Economic time line with text and photographs: 1947 to 2007
Notes
Glossary
320 pages, Hardcover