Yesterday evening, I had the privilege of attending the launch of "Viksit India", a unique book authored by my friend Dr. Ganesh Natarajan and the talented young poet and educator Urmi Rumi.
The book is a lyrical exploration of India’s development journey – not just through statistics and policies, but through aspirations, dreams, and stories that connect deeply with the soul of the nation.
Ganesh, a pioneering figure in India’s IT industry and someone who has penned over 15 books in the past two decades, continues to inspire. His deep engagement with India’s digital future, combined with Urmi’s poetic sensibilities, makes this collaboration stand out. Viksit India is not a document. It is a dialogue – between the India we see and the India we dream of.
The book itself is a thoughtful blend of vision and verse – where poetic storytelling meets grounded reflection. Drawing from Ganesh’s policy experience and Urmi’s evocative writing, it paints a deeply human portrait of progress. The language is accessible yet profound, bringing to life everyday vignettes of aspiration and resilience. Whether it’s a child’s walk to a local school, a villager's access to clean drinking water, or a young woman navigating the digital age – each page carries a quiet urgency, reminding us that true development must be lived, not just measured.
But what truly stirred the room was the keynote address delivered by noted economist Dr. Ajit Ranade – erudite, grounded, and deeply humane in tone.
He began with a quiet smile, almost anticipating the direction he was about to take us in.
“We talk of India becoming the 3rd or even the largest economy in the world. But development is not a numbers game. It’s not about GDP rankings. It’s not about surpassing countries on Excel sheets. It’s about people – real people.”
He paused, and then asked:
“Who is development for, if not for the people? And if so, how is it that we still define progress in terms of averages?”
He went on to challenge the very foundations of the “development narrative” that often dominates public discourse.
“Per capita GDP is a better measure, yes – but even that doesn’t tell the whole story. Averages hide more than they reveal. India is not a 2 lakh rupees per capita economy. India is also a 5-crore-pending-cases economy.”
That last phrase hung in the air.
“Yes – 5 crore. That’s how many cases are pending in our courts today. Think of what that number really means. Five crore Indians – families, individuals – caught in a web of legal delays and denials. Justice postponed is justice denied. And can there be development without justice?”
There was complete silence in the hall – the kind of silence that precedes transformation.
Ranade didn’t stop there. He went on to paint his own vision of Viksit Bharat, one that felt refreshingly concrete, yet aspirational:
“We will know India is developed not when we reach a particular GDP target or a ranking on the global table. We will know we are developed when:
1. Parents confidently send their children to the nearest municipal school, not because they can’t afford a better one 25 kilometers away, but because that municipal school close by is the best.
2. When you’re thirsty, you open the tap, pour a glass of water, and drink it – with complete faith that it’s safe, and that this is not a privilege, but a given.
3. When the rich choose public transport, not out of compulsion or tokenism, but because it’s actually the most convenient, reliable, and dignified option available.”
He concluded not with rhetoric, but with resolve.
“The soul of development lies not in grandeur, but in dignity. It lies in the everyday – in schools, taps, buses. In courts where justice moves, in systems that serve. That is Viksit or Vikasit (as he says it) India.”
As the applause echoed, I realised the evening was not just about launching a book – it was about launching a deeper reflection. A poetic view, yes. But also a piercingly pragmatic one.
Ganesh and Urmi’s Viksit India invites us to dream. Dr. Ranade’s words remind us to stay awake as we do.
As India races forward, may we not forget who we are racing for? And why?
