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INDIA’S WORLD: How Prime Ministers Shaped Foreign Policy
When Narasimha Rao became the prime minister in 1991, just a billion dollars separated India from bankruptcy. He was told by Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, that petrol pumps would run dry after two weeks. India was forced to ship 46.8 million tonnes of gold to secure $400 million in loans from the Bank of England and Bank of Japan. This blow to the national pride may not have been comparable to the military humiliation of 1962, but it was bad enough.
Carved in riveting prose, India’s World is about such trials and many triumphs of the country. Since Independence, eight prime ministers, in particular, have been the principal architects of India’s rise. From Nehru, venerated as a resolute statesman and one of the great political minds of the last century, to Modi who is acknowledged as a determined doer, the book offers a crystal clear portrait of India’s leaders.
This lively volume celebrates the myriad ways in which they have made history. It asks and answers questions that people often debate about. Who was the great Indian prime minister, complete in every respect? If there was one, could it be Nehru, Indira or Rao? Or, is it Modi? Elegantly written by one of India’s finest strategic minds, it is a must-read for those curious about India’s place in the world. There are messages too for a future Indian prime minister on what to expect.
Carved in riveting prose, India’s World is about such trials and many triumphs of the country. Since Independence, eight prime ministers, in particular, have been the principal architects of India’s rise. From Nehru, venerated as a resolute statesman and one of the great political minds of the last century, to Modi who is acknowledged as a determined doer, the book offers a crystal clear portrait of India’s leaders.
This lively volume celebrates the myriad ways in which they have made history. It asks and answers questions that people often debate about. Who was the great Indian prime minister, complete in every respect? If there was one, could it be Nehru, Indira or Rao? Or, is it Modi? Elegantly written by one of India’s finest strategic minds, it is a must-read for those curious about India’s place in the world. There are messages too for a future Indian prime minister on what to expect.
- GenresPoliticsNonfictionIndia
248 pages, Hardcover
Published April 1, 2020
8 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Rajiv Dogra
7 books8 followersAn electrical engineer by training, a diplomat by profession and a writer by choice, Rajiv Dogra became a member of the Indian foreign service in 1974.
He has served as the consul general of India in Karachi; the ambassador of India to Italy, Romania, Moldova, Albania and San Marino; and India’s permanent representative to the United Nations agencies based in Rome. Other diplomatic assignments have included those in London, Doha and Stockholm, and various tenures in the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi. Uniquely, Dogra has advised a foreign government on restructuring its foreign ministry and has sat on the advisory boards of multinational corporations.
Rajiv Dogra is also a well-known media commentator on foreign and strategic affairs. He lives in New Delhi, and paints when he’s not writing.
He has served as the consul general of India in Karachi; the ambassador of India to Italy, Romania, Moldova, Albania and San Marino; and India’s permanent representative to the United Nations agencies based in Rome. Other diplomatic assignments have included those in London, Doha and Stockholm, and various tenures in the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi. Uniquely, Dogra has advised a foreign government on restructuring its foreign ministry and has sat on the advisory boards of multinational corporations.
Rajiv Dogra is also a well-known media commentator on foreign and strategic affairs. He lives in New Delhi, and paints when he’s not writing.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 28, 2024
Sharp, witty, and gripping.
Picked up this book as a lazy read on a sunday night, but was pleasantly surprised by how interesting the writing was. Filled with tidbits and whispers from the corridors of Indian diplomacy, this book will certainly grasp your attention. Ambassador Dogra doesn’t mess with his words, and gives accounts of 8 Prime Ministers and their foreign policy decisions. However, I am compelled to give the book 4 stars because I found the epilogue rather tedious to read. The book has a lot to give, and would certainly act as an excellent read for students at the high school and undergraduate level interested in foreign policy.
Picked up this book as a lazy read on a sunday night, but was pleasantly surprised by how interesting the writing was. Filled with tidbits and whispers from the corridors of Indian diplomacy, this book will certainly grasp your attention. Ambassador Dogra doesn’t mess with his words, and gives accounts of 8 Prime Ministers and their foreign policy decisions. However, I am compelled to give the book 4 stars because I found the epilogue rather tedious to read. The book has a lot to give, and would certainly act as an excellent read for students at the high school and undergraduate level interested in foreign policy.
September 14, 2020
Pausing to regroup, digest and rediscover an idea is essentially the sine qua non of any long term project. The case in point, is the idea of India’s approach towards its foreign policy, and the restructuring that it needs.
Written by an former diplomat of high esteem and standing (Rajiv Dogra), what this book cleverly does is take an unique approach for its critics analysis. It bluntly acknowledges the blatant haphazardness with which India has largely carried out its foreign affairs to date and attempts to draw threads that link together to portray the larger ideals that stand out. Personally, the idea of exploring India’s external affairs through the lens of eight Indian Prime Ministers and their tenures very subtly also emphasised the dominant personality driven trait of Indian diplomacy. Perhaps it can be said to be a hangover from the Nehruvian era, but then again, is also an embodiment of Nehru’s favourite critic and our present prime minister, Narendra Modi.
Rajiv both praises and criticises actions taken by various people, and to asses their substance in this post would largely deprive the reader of this book’s ingenuity. I will say this though - as someone who has largely followed international relations very closely, the book did yield some interesting observations, which given the topic, is a rarity, given that the Indian foreign relations equation is firstly, comparatively younger and secondly, hit its growth spurt with the boom of the internet and the information explosion era, spawning thousands of viewpoints and analysis. To stand out in such a field, is truly a commendable job.
Perhaps a grouch which one always might hold from an insider’s take on things is that it ideally ought to transcend beyond what an external analysis can provide. Barring this rather subjective flaw, I doubt this book left me with anything to complain about. To anyone looking for an incisive look at the emerging perspectives of Indian foreign policy, and how we got to where we are today, this is a must-read.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHaJ07Ag...
Written by an former diplomat of high esteem and standing (Rajiv Dogra), what this book cleverly does is take an unique approach for its critics analysis. It bluntly acknowledges the blatant haphazardness with which India has largely carried out its foreign affairs to date and attempts to draw threads that link together to portray the larger ideals that stand out. Personally, the idea of exploring India’s external affairs through the lens of eight Indian Prime Ministers and their tenures very subtly also emphasised the dominant personality driven trait of Indian diplomacy. Perhaps it can be said to be a hangover from the Nehruvian era, but then again, is also an embodiment of Nehru’s favourite critic and our present prime minister, Narendra Modi.
Rajiv both praises and criticises actions taken by various people, and to asses their substance in this post would largely deprive the reader of this book’s ingenuity. I will say this though - as someone who has largely followed international relations very closely, the book did yield some interesting observations, which given the topic, is a rarity, given that the Indian foreign relations equation is firstly, comparatively younger and secondly, hit its growth spurt with the boom of the internet and the information explosion era, spawning thousands of viewpoints and analysis. To stand out in such a field, is truly a commendable job.
Perhaps a grouch which one always might hold from an insider’s take on things is that it ideally ought to transcend beyond what an external analysis can provide. Barring this rather subjective flaw, I doubt this book left me with anything to complain about. To anyone looking for an incisive look at the emerging perspectives of Indian foreign policy, and how we got to where we are today, this is a must-read.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHaJ07Ag...
October 2, 2020
Rajiv Dogra's latest book is both a simple and a profound read. It can easily be recommended to all enthusiasts of Indian Foreign policy scene as been shaped over the decades. Across a milieu of Prime Ministers, the India has witnessed moments of exhilaration as well as sheer dejection and frustrations. Yes the buck stops at the leader, however this book goes on to understand the psyche and the situations behinds the decisions. Not all which has happened in the past can ever be explained even with the benefit of hindsight and this book doest attempt to do so. However, it does paint a situation which sounds grim and alarming at the same time. At the time of me reading this book and its review, the world is already gripped with the Covid crisis. It remains to be seen how the latest irritant shapes the further global policies and alignments.
It is evident that Mr. Dogra speaks from a lot of personal experience and understanding of the subject matter. He covers the entire spectrum of Prime Ministers right from Nehru to Modi. If there is one aspect i missed in this book was to hear some of the possible recommendations that he would have for the future leaders of this great country, especially in the epilogue of the book. Mr. Dogra also steers away from making any emotional judgements on any of the Prime Ministers, though his anguish in some of the decisions of the past is clearly evident. More so, while there are lessons from the past and probable picture of the future, the book also tries to subtly highlight some of the imminent dangers that country might well take heed off.
A real nice book, enriches your understanding of the machinations of global power influences, and most importantly, in this age of constant misinformation, brings out the facts of our history and any historian should.
It is evident that Mr. Dogra speaks from a lot of personal experience and understanding of the subject matter. He covers the entire spectrum of Prime Ministers right from Nehru to Modi. If there is one aspect i missed in this book was to hear some of the possible recommendations that he would have for the future leaders of this great country, especially in the epilogue of the book. Mr. Dogra also steers away from making any emotional judgements on any of the Prime Ministers, though his anguish in some of the decisions of the past is clearly evident. More so, while there are lessons from the past and probable picture of the future, the book also tries to subtly highlight some of the imminent dangers that country might well take heed off.
A real nice book, enriches your understanding of the machinations of global power influences, and most importantly, in this age of constant misinformation, brings out the facts of our history and any historian should.
October 15, 2020
This is a very well written book explaining concisely the current position of India in the world. It's a brief history of the circumstances that led to where India is right now and what more we'll be required to do to go forward. But, mind you this book doesn't paint a glossy picture at all. Rather it includes a lot of criticism of decisions taken by all the Prime Ministers in terms of foreign affairs of the country, even though Rajiv Dogra Sir tried not giving a biased picture.
The book was thought-provoking as it briefed me on many issues that are affecting us even more now. To be specific, issues such as Kashmir, China, and Pakistan. It becomes more relevant as it even conveyed suggestions and strategies on diplomatic relationships with other countries.
The best part of the book is that it's not tilted towards any political wing, leaving the rightness of the decisions to be judged totally by the readers.
The book was thought-provoking as it briefed me on many issues that are affecting us even more now. To be specific, issues such as Kashmir, China, and Pakistan. It becomes more relevant as it even conveyed suggestions and strategies on diplomatic relationships with other countries.
The best part of the book is that it's not tilted towards any political wing, leaving the rightness of the decisions to be judged totally by the readers.
August 25, 2020
Skip it. Thinly written, lacking substance and confusing.
November 11, 2020
A very balanced book, that talks of EIGHT Prime Ministers and their contribution to India's foreign policy
Enjoyed reading every page
Enjoyed reading every page
February 23, 2023
Met my expectations although it might disappoint someone who is looking to go indepth into some of the key chapters that shaped India over the last 75 years. It does keep you wanting more in some chapters but overall it is a good window into the challenges faced by each Prime Minister and their key achievements during their tenure
December 25, 2025
Rajiv Dogra's "India's World" offers a crisp analysis of India's foreign policy through the tenures of eight prime ministers. The book highlights the impact of leaders from nehru to shashtri to indira to narsimha rao to atal to modi on shaping India's global stance from independence to the present day. Book talks instances of both strategic foresight and missteps in India's diplomatic history. The latter part of the work anticipates the complex challenges and delicate balancing acts awaiting future prime ministers in the realm of foreign relations. It serves as a concise yet insightful overview of India's journey on the world stage.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews