Making India Great: The Promise of a Reluctant Global Power

About Making India Great

Making India Great: The Promise of a Reluctant Global Power is a book by Aparna Pande about why India, with all its size and potential, has found it hard to become the great power many expect it to be. If you want a serious but readable take on making India great, this book gives you a clear argument to think about. Please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock, including the publisher and number of pages.

The book looks at India’s economy, social development, foreign policy and military, and asks whether symbolism and slogans have sometimes taken the place of steady, hard reform. It is written for general readers who follow public affairs, not only for specialists.

What Making India Great is about

• The argument that India’s leaders sometimes treat symbols and slogans as proof of great-power status.
• A close look at social development, the economy, foreign policy and the military, and the gaps in each.
• Concerns about education outcomes and skills, supported by survey figures the author cites.
• A discussion of subsidies and how they strain public finances and limit production at scale.
• A comparison with China, and the question of how India should balance China’s influence and work with the United States.

Pande’s central idea is that India is a reluctant global power, one that has the potential but does not always act with the focus needed. She argues that China used decades of relative peace to build its economy and modernise its forces, while India’s growth was less consistent. Foreign policy, she says, requires India to reconcile realism with idealism. Readers may agree or disagree with her views, and the book is best read as a well-argued contribution to a wider debate, not the last word on it.

About the author, Aparna Pande

Aparna Pande is a scholar of South Asian politics and foreign policy who works at the Hudson Institute in Washington, where she directs its initiative on the future of India and South Asia. She is the author of Explaining Pakistan’s Foreign Policy and From Chanakya to Modi, in addition to this book. Her work focuses on how India and its neighbours see their place in the world, and she writes for general readers as well as for specialists.

Why Making India Great is worth reading

India’s rise is one of the big stories of our time, and many books either celebrate it or criticise it without much nuance. Making India Great is useful because it asks practical questions: what would it actually take, and what is getting in the way? Whether you are a student of civil services or international relations, a professional who follows the economy, or simply a curious citizen, it gives you arguments, examples and data to chew on. It does not require prior knowledge of foreign policy theory, and the writing is direct.

Who should read this book

• Civil services and international relations students who need current perspectives.
• Readers who follow Indian politics, the economy and foreign policy.
• Professionals and entrepreneurs interested in India’s global position.
• Anyone curious about India-China relations and India-US ties.
• Book clubs that enjoy debate on public affairs.

How to get the most from this book

Read with a pen. Note where the author makes a claim, and ask whether you agree or have seen different evidence. Compare her view with other books on India’s rise to build a balanced understanding. If you are preparing for an exam, make short notes on each chapter’s argument and examples. Discuss it with friends, because a book like this is most useful when it starts a debate.

Frequently asked questions

Is the book supportive or critical of India?
It is a critical but constructive look at what holds India back from its potential, and it offers the author’s own recommendations.

Who is the author?
Aparna Pande, a South Asia scholar.

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