Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy by Mihir Sharma Summary
Overview of Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy
Mihir Sharma's award-winning critique dissects India's economic failures with razor-sharp wit. Longlisted for FT-McKinsey honors, this 2015 manifesto reveals why IT and pharma thrive while infrastructure crumbles. Can India's last chance for prosperity survive its own policy blunders?
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Key takeaways
When Optimism Collides With Reality
Picture a nation where 13 million young people flood the job market every year, yet 47 million already search fruitlessly for work. Where factories stand silent while the world's largest youth population waits for opportunities that never arrive. Where a country once hailed as the next economic superpower now struggles to build a single efficient highway. This is India's paradox-a democracy racing against time, trying to achieve in decades what other nations accomplished over centuries, all while its demographic window of opportunity rapidly closes. In 2001, Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term "BRICs," identifying four emerging economies poised to reshape global commerce. India stood among them, radiating promise. Yet twelve years later, O'Neill himself expressed profound disappointment. Despite lifting hundreds of millions from poverty, India's economic miracle proved fragile. After briefly approaching double-digit growth during the 2008 crisis, the economy stalled dramatically around 2012. Manufacturing flatlined, investment dried up, factories fell silent. By 2014, Narendra Modi's sweeping electoral victory-the first parliamentary majority in thirty years-sparked renewed hope. But hope alone cannot overcome the structural failures that have plagued India for decades. The fundamental question remains unanswered: can a nation build its future when it cannot even build adequate roads?
The Trap of Scarcity Thinking
The Demographic Time Bomb
The Village That Became a Prison
The Factories That Never Were
The Original Sin of Half-Hearted Reform
The Sound of Building, The Sound of Hope
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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