INDIA'S CENTURY

Overview

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.

Biographical note
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.

Back cover copy
“India has put itself on the radar screen of every investing entity in the world. The world recognizes that it would be impossible to do business without India….its assets-both tangible and intangible-are going to play a crucial role in the way the world develops in the years to come.”-Kamal Nath

Understand India's prosperous present
And tap into its future of phenomenal growth

The nineteenth century was an era of colonialism throughout South and Southeast Asia. The twentieth century was the era of American and European industrial dominance. Now India is becoming an emerging tiger on the global arena, revitalizing its economy, creating unprecedented levels of social and economic well-being, and emerging as major player in the marketplace. With this new transformation, the twenty-first century is poised to be India's century.

Kamal Nath, India's dynamic minister of commerce and industry, is uniquely qualified to explore the magnitude of India's economic renewal and the opportunities it holds for the world. With a riveting narrative blend of history, analysis, and personal reflection, Mr. Nath tells the story of India's rise to prominence on the world stage—and how it is primed to be a fertile arena for commerce, industry, and economic growth.

Kamal Nath, one of India's most popular political figures, is a longtime member of the Congress Party. He is widely credited with raising his country's global profile and persuading ever-increasing numbers of foreign sources to invest in the booming Indian economy.