Author Description

In November 2010, President Barack Obama claimed during his state visit to India that India has "already emerged" as a great power. His view is shared by many world leaders who believe that India's impressive economic and industrial growth and potential, its professional and modernizing military, its rapidly increasing ties with the United States and other armed forces in the extended region, and its expanding soft power presence in the world (information technology prowess, Bollywood films and music) are evidence of the country's inevitable rise.However, there is more to India's story than unimpeded forward progress, as Bharat Karnad explains in "India's Rise." Based on extensive interviews with civilian and military policymakers, this book provides a sobering examination of the country's obvious deficits in hard power capabilities, its overly bureaucratized system of government, and other systemic constraints that are exacerbated by policy infirmities, unacceptable levels of poverty, political and social fragmentation, corruption, and conspicuously poor governance.Karnad maintains that India must make radical improvements in addressing those deficits, capitalize on opportunities economically to co-opt the neighboring states and forge security relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and deliver good governance at the grassroots. IfIndia follows Karnad's recommendations, it may well achieve its aspirations on the world stage."