How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back
"Caged Tiger will make you wake up and look at India very differently"
- Tanuj Bhojwani
"This is not a book you can ignore, no matter which side of the debate you are on"
- Anand Venkatanarayanan
"Establishes Bhadra as an insightful young voice on these issues"
- CV Madhukar
"Everyone interested in rebuilding the Indian dream should read this book"
- Dr. Ajay Shah
"Accessible and essential reading for every critical Indian"
- Apar Gupta
"Deeply researched, cogently argued and persuasively written"
- Bishakha Dutta
"A call to action that encourages Indians to move beyond their fixation with leaders."
"Written in an engaging, easy style the book is a pleasant but intensely informative read."
"The seed of a new slogan for our generation’s freedom fighters."
"With a matter-of-fact approach, lucid writing and anecdotal evidence, he sounds convincing"
"... A neutral lens, which is a refreshing change in these polarised times."
"Brings together familiar material in one place and fleshes it out with useful data."
ABOUT THE BOOK
What is common between the censorship of the film Padmaavat and artificially high ‘minimum’ support prices for crops? If the police comes down so heavily on peaceful anti-CAA protestors, why did it not show the same harshness towards those violating Covid-19 lockdown? Why is an otherwise powerful Election Commission unable to enforce free and fair elections within political parties or fully weed out criminals from politics?
The common factor is faulty institutional design, which is eating away at the foundations of our society. Leaders come and go, but institutions stay forever. Only a consistent focus on better institutions can help India have a more robust economy, media, police, parliament, internet and cultural life. Yet, discussions on institutions have been restricted to academic circles.
Keeping aside ideological biases of Left or Right, Caged Tiger brings alive the rich yet unseen story of India’s institutions. It combines deep research and complex frameworks, converting them into the vocabulary and cultural context of millennials and Gen Z. It goes all the way back to the British Raj, exploring the origins of modern Indian institutions. Tracing additions by subsequent governments, from Nehru’s to Modi’s, it identifies policies that keep Indians suppressed and how each of us can change them. It is, in short, young India’s guide to becoming smarter about the issues that matter.
My Story
I am an economist by training. I received an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford on the Rhodes Scholarship and a BA in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
My career has straddled both the policy and corporate worlds. I spent over half a decade working in public policy, especially on issues of technology policy, regulatory governance and digital rights. As part of my job, I funded many of India's leading think-tanks and helped shape the policy discourse in these areas.
I have worked at a leading global management consulting firm, a venture capital firm and a tech start-up, working closely with CEOs, entrepreneurs, bureaucrats and others throughout my career. I have also published several articles in leading dailies like The Times of India, Hindustan Times and Indian Express.
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