India 2020: A Vision of the New Millennium [ペーパーバック]

Dr Kalam is among the handful of people I respect in the Indian polity and business arena --along with Ratan Tata, Mr Murthy and a few others. I've nothing but respect for him and his humility, and this book only enhances that. The book is a detailed analysis of what it takes for the country to be developed by 2020. What does it mean to be developed? "A reasonable lifespan, an occupation that would provide them basic comforts and good health care. This is our dream of a developed India." Unlike the jingoistic "super-power" nonsense, it's about growth with humility. The books address every conceivable area and is replete with line charts, bar charts, tables and a lot of other statistics. The dream is not merely articulated, but the path to reach there is looked at in detail. Note that this is really not a casual read; unless you're really involved with the topic, you might find it to be a bit too detailed for your taste. I don't see a "Look Inside" for this book on Amazon; so I'm posting the TOC here.

1. Can India Become a Developed Country?
2. What other countries Envision for Themselves
3. Evolution of Technology Vision 2020
4. Food, Agriculture and Processing
5. Materials and the Future
6. Chemicals Industries and Our Biological Wealth
7. Manufacturing for the future
8. Services As People's Wealth
9. Strategic Industries
10. Health Care for All
11. The Enabling Infrastructure

PS - Please note that this book was written in the late 90s. The environment has certainly undergone a big change since then. As an example, Dr Kalam talks about China "The Chinese vision is to prepare the country for entry into the ranks of midlevel developed nation by the middle of the twentyfirst century." Well, we now know where they will be by the middle of 21st century.

I was quite impressed with the volume of details in this book. The authors acknowledge the fact that a 'collective improvement is required from all the sectors' to make India, a developed nation. They also emphasize that every Indian should take an action to achieve the dream of "Vision 2020".

The book doesn't just share the 'findings' & the 'vision', but also proposes recommendations & actions to realize the dream. It will be a great eye opener for many of us (Indians). The authors request Indians to avoid pessimism in every form. The book also highlights that "Irrespective of the roles, responsibilities and industry that you work in, you can make a difference. You can help India to become a developed country. Even a small action from every individual brings in a collective improvement".

I would recommend everyone to read this book & share India's Vision 2020.