Bimal Jalan, former Reserve Bank of India governor and Rajya Sabha MP, places India’s post-Independence strengths and weaknesses under a microscope and analyses the last four decades of the country’s economic journey, which saw its transition from a strictly regulated, slow-growth,state-led enterprise to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Drawing on his vast experience, Dr Jalan compares two distinct periods-1980-2000 and 2000-15-to examine the core changes and their significance, and considers their lessons for the immediate future.