Planet India: The Turbulent Rise of the Largest Democracy and the Future of Our World

India is everywhere: in the news, in movie theaters, at the office, and on Capitol Hill. With 600 million people under the age of twenty-five, a middle class as big as the United States, and economic growth pushing double digits, India is potentially the world's hottest market and biggest labor force. But while India's recent boom has made thirty-six Indians billionaires, 800 million Indians still struggle to survive on less than two dollars per day. A vibrant democracy where the poor are more likely to vote than the rich, India is racing against time to invent an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable model adapted to the twenty-first century. The Indian diaspora is an important part of India's resurgence as a major cultural and political force. Mira Kamdar will tell us how high the stakes are–what there is to lose and what there is to gain–from India's meteoric rise and the growing clout of the Indian diaspora, especially in the United States. Booksigning and refreshments to follow.

Co-sponsored with the Center for India Studies.

"This briskly written, vivid account shows how that subcontinental country's films, technology, and service industries have made India an ever-growing presence on the American scene. Time to recognize yet another awakening giant snapping at our heels"–The Atlantic Monthly