However as shown in Imagining India the many paradoxes and contradiction in modern India could prevent it exploiting its opportunity fully. It has major advantages such as widespread use of the English language and democracy but its weaknesses could yet cause India to not realise its undoubted potential.
An Important Guide to the History, Culture, Economics and Politics of Modern India
Nandan Nilekani is one of the founders of Infosys Technologies which has been an international success story in business process outsourcing and information technology. It was one of the leading companies that catapulted India onto the world stage as the place for business process outsourcing as it had an educated population for whom English was often their common language.
In Imagining India Nandan Nilekani has produced a readable and comprehensive exploration of the history and culture of modern India. It is a place for the world to do business, well placed geographically with a young and entrepreneurial population. He also shows that there are major obstacles to making the most of India’s opportunities and Nilekani provides a thoughtful and egalitarian prescription for dealing with those challenges.
At times Imagining India can feel somewhat repetitious due to the intertwined nature of India’s challenges that impinge on all aspects of India life. In particular the sclerotic bureaucracy, entrenched feudalism and a populist political approach that only makes change when forced to by crisis. The repetition is necessary and unavoidable, it does not get in the way of a fascinating read.
Democracy and Bureaucracy Need to Change; Education is the Tool
Despite many crises in India’s short history since independence it has remained a democracy. Nilekani suggests that democracy is growing up, the booming urban centres are more egalitarian driven as they are by business and the market rather the feudal history that still rules in much of the poorer, rural areas. Incredibly India has a demographic dividend in its youth and a booming economy with a need for staff; unfortunately state education standards do not match the need and could derail Indian development.
However, even the frequently illiterate poor are moving away from accepting the populist political rhetoric and demanding change. They are recognising that education is an important tool to escape the poverty trap and despite limited money are taking advantage of the burgeoning small private schools rather than the failed state system. As in many developing nations providing education, information and finance to women has proved particularly successful. Replacing subsidies with cash benefits, Nilekani argues, will enable the poor to make choices that will force change and improve their situation.
In this thoughtful and detailed book Nandan Nilekani recognises it is not easy but if successful the 21st century could, as suggested in India’s Global Powerhouses, be the “Indian Century” as the economic power moves east and away from the American Century. Although it is Nilekani’s name on the cover it is a distillation of the views and ideas of many change makers and thinkers working in India today – in his modest way Nilekani is the first to recognise the contribution that these people make.
India, Paradox and Contradictions but Hope, Energy and Expectation
The common thread is that India has to deal with the paradoxes and contradictions which are India. The people, especially the young, are doing so faster than the aged politicians. Nilekani is hopeful as he closes with “It [India] is young, impatient, vital, awake – a country that may finally be coming close to its early promise”.
A Warning or an Opportunity for Developed Economies?
Either way everyone in the developed markets will feel the impact of the changes caused by a newly confident and energetic India. The question is how to respond, Imagining India gives some clues and will provide background understanding of the new, vital India.
This is an essential read for everyone in or dependent on business especially across the developed world. It would be very easy to think India is the other side of the world and it does not affect someone in rural America, Europe or Australia but it does and increasingly so.
Many manufacturing jobs were exported to India decades ago and now many white collar and knowledge jobs are being taken by India's growing, often foreign educated, middle-class; all they need are digital networks. And giant Indian enterprises are buying major western brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover cars. The Indians are already here, and they will keep coming.
Thoughtful and Considered Analysis of the State of India
Imagining India is a thoughtful and considered review of the state of India, its opportunities and challenges. As a first time author Nandan Nilekani is to be commended for a magnificent and accessible piece of work that would do an established sociologist or political commentator proud.
Imagining India, Ideas for the New Century (2009, ISBN: 978-0-141-03626-7) by Nandan Nilekani is published in paperback by Penguin at £12.99.
Martin P Wilson - Martin is a director of major business change & turnaround consultant by profession but a widely published writer & photographer by ...
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