How will the Indian era be? Will the twenty-first century be Indian by excellence?

About one-sixth of the world's population will be Indians in our current century, at a time when India is heading to be the second largest market in the world, where the middle class will reach more than half a billion people. These facts, which call for optimism regarding the world's largest democracies, do not hide the other dark aspects, where poverty, illiteracy, gender discrimination, and so on are widespread, which the author discusses, drawing a balanced picture of the country's successes, failures, and the challenges facing its present and future. The author says: "My sole concern was to portray the most truthful image possible, yet I admit that the truth is not comprehensive and may include notable exceptions."