No other period in the entire history of India ever witnessed such momentous developments, affecting so profoundly the life of its people as the half century that followed the end of British colonialism. Business was one realm that experienced a great deal of upheavals. 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.

The book covers a vast canvas-from industrial licensing and planned economy, to the experiments in cooperative undertakings, and the opening up of the Indian economy and liberalization. The book also covers several new and emerging areas in business history including the rise of business education and a new managerial class, technological autonomy, and corporate citizenship.