While this book covers more than just the financial and economic side of India, anyone interested in doing business there will find it a useful guide. The author is professor of international and comparative politics at the London School of Economics and draws on extensive personal experience to describe India's journey through democracy since it achieved independence in 1949. It describes the many challenges it faces as it transforms itself from a country dominated by one major national political party into a diverse multiparty order with strong regional government.

Comparing and contrasting India with the other giant power of Asia, China, Rose notes that despite their differences, they face challenges of a similar nature. India has a more widespread problem of acute poverty and China has superior infrastructure but both are grappling with problems of social inequality and interregional disparities in levels of prosperity.

They also face the common problems of corruption amongst politicians. Furthermore, neither has worked out a strategy to cope with its rising importance in the international system and global geopolitics, the author observes.