This is the story of the birth and growth of India’s most valued Bank – HDFC Bank Ltd – against the backdrop of the new bank movement in India that started in 1994 when the Reserve Bank of India opened up the sector to introduce competition and to force banks to be efficient and more productive.

Many books have tried to give meaning to India’s recent history, to put it in the larger context of a complicated and confounding society, but this effort stands out because it does something that has been difficult to attempt – retelling the story of modern India through the lens of business.

Given the author’s familiarity with bankers, policy makers and central bankers, this fast-paced, jargon-free book, written for a wide audience, brings to life an engrossing and sweeping tale of 21st century India, with all its foibles and charms.