Penguin Random House India is proud to announce the upcoming publication of Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India by renowned historian Srinath Raghavan. This gripping account of Indira Gandhi’s political career and its lasting impact on India is scheduled to be published under the Allen Lane imprint
Indira Gandhi’s ascent to the prime minister’s office in 1966 was unexpected, yet she emerged as one of the most powerful and transformative leaders of modern India. Serving for fifteen years, she steered the country through moments of great triumph and deep crisis, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape Indian politics. From her rise to power and decisive electoral victories to the controversial Emergency (1975–77) and her assassination in 1984, Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India presents a compelling narrative of a leader whose governance defined an era.
Drawing on extensive research and newly declassified archival materials from India and around the world, Srinath Raghavan offers a fresh perspective on Indira Gandhi’s tenure, situating her decisions within the broader currents of nationalism, global politics, and economic transformation. Through this book, he examines how the 1970s became a turning point in India’s democratic and economic trajectory, shaping the nation we know today.
Speaking about the book, author Srinath Raghavan shares, ‘Indira Gandhi and her times, especially the Emergency, loom large in our collective political memory. Yet, fifty years on, we don’t have a proper historical perspective on those tumultuous times. This book tries to offer such an account by a narrative history of the ideas and choices of Indira Gandhi and her contemporaries set against the global context of the long 1970s. By tracing and explaining far-reaching changes in our democracy, the state and the economy, the book tells the story of the making of contemporary India. I have been working on this book for almost fifteen years, tapping a massive vein of newly declassified materials in India and elsewhere. It has been wonderful to be on this long journey with Penguin Random House India.’
Manasi Subramaniam, Editor-in-Chief and Vice-President of the imprints Hamish Hamilton, Allen Lane, Viking, Penguin and Penguin Classics at PRH India, adds, ‘Srinath Raghavan’s account of Indira Gandhi’s political career is a sharp and nuanced study of a leader whose influence stretched far beyond the borders of India. With careful attention to the turbulent currents of postcolonial history, Raghavan examines the paradoxes of Gandhi’s leadership—her formidable drive, her entanglement in the forces of nationalism and global politics, and the authoritarian streak that marked her rule. In an era in which populism and authoritarianism are once again on the rise, this book offers a timely reflection on the precarious nature of power and governance. We are delighted to publish this profound work by one of India’s foremost historians, whose understanding of the past offers critical insights into the present.’
Milee Ashwarya, Publisher and Senior Vice-President, Adult Publishing Group, PRH India, says, ‘Indira Gandhi and the Years That Transformed India by Srinath Raghavan is the result of years of painstaking research and scholarship. A deep study into the complex politics and the charismatic leadership of Indira Gandhi, this is an important book that will help readers understand the history and evolution of Indian politics.’
Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India is set to be a definitive account of one of India’s most complex political figures and a landmark contribution to historical scholarship.
About The Author
Srinath Raghavan is professor of international relations and history at Ashoka University, New Delhi. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including India’s War: The Making of Modern South Asia and The Most Dangerous Place: A History of the United States in South Asia.
Srinath was a member of the National Security Advisory Board, Government of India (2013-2015). He was also the official historian of the Kargil War for the Ministry of Defence, Government of India (2016-2021). Srinath is the recipient of the K. Subrahmanyam Award for Strategic Studies (2011) and the Infosys Prize for Social Sciences (2015).
It is currently on pre-order and will be available across the country from 30th May 2025
