Democracy on the Road

The international bestselling author of Breakout Nations and The Rise and Fall of Nations chronicles two decades of engagement with democracy in India, in anticipation of the country's next major electionIndia is a country obsessed by politics. In early 2019, it faces national elections, and urgent questions present themselves- will India continue down a path of populism and increasingly strident Hindu nationalism or will it return to its postcolonial secular vision? Is the long-promised economic boom finally at hand, or is some form of socialism part of India's DNA? Will the seemingly invincible Modi triumph again, or will India revert to its habit of throwing out incumbents? Bestselling author Ruchir Sharma has been on the road during Indian elections for twenty years and here distills the wisdom of his observations and experiences over that time in a deeply insightful book about the world's largest and most complex exercise in democracy.

“For a quarter of a century, Ruchir Sharma has been doing in India what political pundits should have done in the US, UK and France to understand Donald Trump, Brexit and the gilets jaunes protestors: he has left the big cities and listened to voters in the mofussil or provincial parts of the subcontinent. ... Above all, the trips allowed Sharma to predict and understand the rise of the Bharatiya Janata party's charismatic Narendra Modi, the collapse and later revival of the Congress party under the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, and the enduring influence of regional politicians such as Nitish Kumar in Bihar and the late J Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu”

For a quarter of a century, Ruchir Sharma has been doing in India what political pundits should have done in the US, UK and France to understand Donald Trump, Brexit and the gilets jaunes protestors: he has left the big cities and listened to voters in the mofussil or provincial parts of the subcontinent. ... Above all, the trips allowed Sharma to predict and understand the rise of the Bharatiya Janata party's charismatic Narendra Modi, the collapse and later revival of the Congress party under the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, and the enduring influence of regional politicians such as Nitish Kumar in Bihar and the late J Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu -- Victor Mallet Financial Times
Sharma's account of his travels offers a fascinating insight into the quixotic characters populating India's political landscape. Along the way, we meet mavericks and ministers, holy men and hoaxers. Sharma is a diligent, informed and sympathetic guide -- Oliver Balch Prospect
A high-speed, breezy drive through two decades of electoral politics -- Menaka Doshi Bloomberg
An immediate must-read. A definitive one-volume on the modern India -- Tom Keene, Bloomberg's Editor-at-large
Packed with nuance and detail of the many Indias that make India Vogue

For many years Ruchir Sharma's writing has drawn on his travels as a global investor, which take him to a different emerging nation every month. Now a contributing writer at the New York Times, his columns and essays have appeared in Foreign Affairs, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Times of India, and many other publications, both global and Indian. His earlier books, The Rise and Fall of Nations (2016) and Breakout Nations (2012), both became international bestsellers. In Democracy on the Road, Ruchir brings readers along on his travels through India, where he follows at least one big election every year.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.