Shankkar Aiyar is a prominent India-based political economy analyst, columnist, and author whose path-breaking book earned him acclaim as a public intellectual. A journalist for over three decades, he specializes in the interface between politics and economics, analyzing India's socio-economic fault lines and its worst districts. His work delves into the life cycles of emerging economies and investigates political corruption, offering sharp insights into the nation's development.
Aiyar maps how Aadhaar's application expanded beyond its original intent. He researches its ups, downs, and turnarounds; discusses the concerns of activists and bureaucrats on potential misuse of the database for state surveillance; raises the urgent need for a data-protection and privacy law.
Focusing on pivotal moments in India's history, Shankkar Aiyar identifies seven transformative events that shaped the nation's trajectory, including economic liberalization, the Green Revolution, and the Right to Information Act. He contends that these significant changes emerged not from strategic foresight, but as reactive measures to crises that demanded urgent solutions. This analysis provides a compelling narrative of India's evolution through challenges, highlighting the unpredictable nature of its progress.