India Before the Ambanis: A History of Indian Business, Money, and Economy

In a one-of-a-kind attempt, India Before The Ambanis deepens the history of modern Indian business by looking at stories of individual enterprise, talent and vision to reflect on the larger milieu and context of business activity. Adopting a narrative non-fiction format, the book focuses on individual protagonists who shaped business in India, focusing largely on western India which by the middle of the 19th century had emerged as the major commercial, financial, and industrial hub. The book takes its cue from several pioneering studies on business and economic history, especially of India, to put together a narrative that is as much about individuals with fire in their belly, as it is about the larger context in which they labored, innovated and dared to dream big.

Lakshmi Subramanian is an Indian historian with a long and distinguished academic and research career. Lakshmi has authored eleven books on the economic and cultural history of India so far. Her latest book, Reading from the South: African Print Cultures and Oceanic Turns in Isabel Hofmeyr’s work, was released in 2023.