A Sixth Of Humanity: Independent India's Development Odyssey
Author: Devesh Kapur
Price: Rs. 1169.10 • ✓ 100% Genuine Publisher Edition
Book Overview
About This BookThis is a deeply impressive work ... Every Indian who wishes to know their country better, to more fully understand its past, present, and possible future, should read it.--Ramachandra GuhaA brilliant and breathtaking tour de force. You will never think about India or economic development in the same way again.--Simon JohnsonIndia's journey has been distinctively 'precocious' in comparative terms. It opted for democracy before development and social change, promoted high-skilled services before and over low-skilled manufacturing and chose a globalization that favoured exports of talented people and short-changed the poor. The socialist state became an inefficiently capitalist one before providing the public goods of physical infrastructure and human capital. The outcomes have been surprising, with the country achieving success in creating and sustaining democracy, albeit flawed, and maintaining a modicum of order. Four decades of economic dynamism and the emergence of a somewhat more capable Indian state has meant that it is able to build infrastructure and deliver the essentials of life to its population at scale-still not without disappointments, but a massive improvement over the past. Just as India's aspiration has lifted to building 'world-class' statues, temples, bullet trains, airports and digital systems, the undermining of some of the real achievements of democracy, federalism and nation-building stand in the way. As the world gets radically upended, India's development odyssey is at a critical juncture. A Sixth of Humanity is an attempt to trace how one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world, uniquely and daringly, attempted four concurrent transformations-building a state, creating an economy, changing society and forging a sense of nationhood-under conditions of universal suffrage.Jointly written by political scientist Devesh Kapur and economist Arvind Subramanian, both of whom have decades of academic and policy experience, this book encompasses perspectives that span disciplines, experiences and geographies. Rigorously researched, carefully argued and lucidly written, this is the definitive development history of India. There is no book remotely like it. Read moreBook DetailsAuthor: Devesh KapurPublisher: HarperCollins India (22 October 2025); HarperCollins Publishers; Product Safety Manager; enquiries@harpercollins.ieFormat: Hardcover – 22 October 2025Language: EnglishPages: 760ISBN: 978-9369891092Dimensions: 23 x 15.3 x 4.14 cmWeight: 850 g
Browse this title within our Social Sciences and Education collection. Edition details: Hardcover – 22 October 2025, English.
Book Specifications & Quick Facts
- Reading Level
- Students & Academic Researchers
- Language & Format
- English • Hardcover – 22 October 2025
- ISBN Reference
- Available on request
- Publisher
- HarperCollins India (22 October 2025); HarperCollins Publishers; Product Safety Manager; enquiries@harpercollins.ie
- Pan-India Delivery
- Dispatches in 24–48 Hours across India
What is this book about?
About This BookThis is a deeply impressive work ... Every Indian who wishes to know their country better, to more fully understand its past, present, and possible future, should read it.--Ramachandra GuhaA brilliant and breathtaking tour de force. You will never think about India or economic...
Who should read this book?
Valuable for university students, educators, and scholars seeking authoritative reference material and structured subject mastery.
Why Readers Pick This Edition
- You’ll love this book for its bold, clear-eyed take on India’s unique development path. It doesn’t just recount history—you’re guided through the tough choices, contradictions, and surprises that shaped modern India. Written with authority and depth, it helps you connect economics, democracy, and social change in a way that feels both rigorous and readable. If you want a premium, insight-rich reference that deepens how you understand India’s past and future, this delivers.
- Published by HarperCollins India (22 October 2025); HarperCollins Publishers; Product Safety Manager; enquiries@harpercollins.ie.
- Language: English.
Catalog Description
About This BookThis is a deeply impressive work ... Every Indian who wishes to know their country better, to more fully understand its past, present, and possible future, should read it.--Ramachandra GuhaA brilliant and breathtaking tour de force. You will never think about India or economic development in the same way again.--Simon JohnsonIndia's journey has been distinctively 'precocious' in comparative terms. It opted for democracy before development and social change, promoted high-skilled services before and over low-skilled manufacturing and chose a globalization that favoured exports of talented people and short-changed the poor. The socialist state became an inefficiently capitalist...
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