Bulls, Bears and Other Beasts: A Story of the Indian Stock Market

by Santosh Nair, Swetanshu Bora (Narrator)

Lalchand Gupta takes you on an exciting journey through Dalal Street in this brief history of the Indian stock market post liberalization.

From tech booms and tax evasion to banks and money laundering; scams and crashes to fixers and investors, Lala has seen it all.

A comprehensive account of the stock market over the last 25 years, it tells you what to watch out for while investing. It also looks at policies that the government needs to revise if the country is to harness domestic capital more effectively.

This is a must-hear for all interested in the financial health of the country as well as those who want to know about the sensational events that led up to the far more sterile stock-market operations of the present day.

Audible Audio

Published January 18, 2022

Reviews

[Shraddha Pant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers an engaging and insightful journey through the evolution of India's stock market, told through the eyes of the character Lala (or Lalchand). He recounts his personal story, from his humble beginnings as a back-office clerk to his eventual success as a wealthy retiree from Dalal Street. Along the way, he walks us through the market’s transformation, from the open-outcry trading floors to the prominence of NSE as stock exchange, to the rise of algorithmic trading. He also takes us through pivotal moments in the market’s history, including the Harshad Mehta scandal, the influx of Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), the Reliance Power IPO, and the SKS Microfinance IPO, among others. The book offers a compelling reflection on how the Indian stock market has evolved, the challenges it has faced, and the gaps that may still be relevant today. It’s an enriching read that not only provides historical context but also deepens our appreciation for how far the market has come.