On the way from Delhi to Jaunpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh is the dusty town of Badshahnagar. Even in this nondescript settlement, people receive money via mobile transfer from family members working in distant cities. There are computer training centres offering diploma courses in Bhojpuri, Hindi and English. Badshahnagar is an example of India’s numerous remote towns that have skipped the stage of basic learning and landed straight to digital literacy as they strive to keep up with the times.
In this book, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, writing with Srijan Pal Singh, draws upon examples ranging from entrepreneurship in places like Badshahnagar to a sophisticated missile programme like Agni to show how it can be Advantage India in the last lap of the journey to 2020 – the landmark year by which he had envisioned the country could transform into an economic power. How can the new initiatives – such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat, smart cities and skill development for the youth – be used to unleash the country’s vast potential? Advantage India offers the answers.
About the author
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) was the eleventh President of India, from 2002 to 2007. He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the nation’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Srijan Pal Singh is a gold medallist MBA holder from IIM Ahmedabad and a social entrepreneur involved in evolving sustainable development systems. He previously co-authored Target 3 Billion (2011) with Dr Kalam
