In India: From Midnight to the Millennium (1997), Shashi Tharoor presents a compelling narrative of India’s journey from independence in 1947 to the close of the 20th century. It explores the major political, social, and economic transformations that have defined modern India. Tharoor brings personal insight in examining the achievements and setbacks of India in its first 50 years as an independent nation struggling to define its identity and fulfill the aspirations of its people.

Tharoor’s work addresses themes such as democracy, secularism, economic development, and India’s place in the world. He reflects on India’s choices such as its initial focus on socialist policies, the challenges of communalism, and economic liberalization in the 1990s. Through reflection on history and his own experiences as a diplomat and author, Tharoor presents the paradoxes of Indian society: a nation marked by both extraordinary cultural diversity and socioeconomic disparity, yet bound by a shared sense of identity.

India: From Midnight to the Millennium offers a nuanced view of India’s postcolonial evolution, capturing its resilience, hope, and complexity. Tharoor’s work remains relevant to understand India’s past, its achievements, and the ongoing challenges it faces as it navigates the demands of modernity and globalization in the postliberalization era.