THE OXFORD HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY INDIAN BUSINESS

A sequel to Tripathis widely acclaimed, The Oxford History of Indian Business, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the making of modern business and the modern business class, covering the period from 1947 to the present times. Linking socio economic and political changes to shifts in the business climate and policies of the country, it provides the first in-depth narrative of business in post-colonial India.

Starting off with an analysis of the new business climate created in the aftermath of Independence, the authors debunk the popular notion that the Nehru government was hostile to the free enterprise system. Its policies, they argue, were, in fact, informed by a judicious balance between state participation in the business system and the freedom of private enterprise. Exploring how Indian business responded to the opportunities and limitations created by the changing environment, the book covers a vast span—from implications of industrial licensing and the planned economy, to vicissitudes of the public sector and experiments in cooperative undertakings; from the opening of the Indian economy and liberalization, the spurt of mergers and acquisitions, and crises in family businesses, to innovations in IT, automobiles, and retailing, among others. In particular, the book covers several new and emerging areas in business history including business education, the rise of a new managerial class, and corporate social responsibility.