Tryst With Prosperity by Medha Malik Kudaisya

Medha Kudaisya obtained her PhD in South Asian history at the University of Cambridge. She is currently a professor in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She has previously authored The Life and Times of G.D. Birla and is now bringing to light the story of the Bombay Plan, a significant economic blueprint initiated in 1944 by eight esteemed individuals from the world of industry, including J.R.D. Tata, Lala Shri Ram, and G.D. Birla. This ambitious plan promised to double India's per capita income, increase agriculture output by 130%, boost manufacturing by 500%, and ensure a minimum standard of living for all individuals. Despite its potential for partnership between the Indian state and private enterprises, tension arose between these industrial titans and the Nehruvian establishment after a decade. Nevertheless, the Bombay Plan's impact is still evident in the country's Five Year Plans and economic progress, even