Introduction
My grandparents grew up in the 1940s, in an India My parents grew up in the 1960s, in an India without colour televisions or personal computers. I grew up in the 1980s and early 1990s, in an India without mobile phones. And today? Children are reportedly using artificial intelligence to do their schoolwork! In the years since Independence, India has undergone an incredible technological transformation. Yet, in 1947, few could have imagined such a future. Back then, India was a largely rural country, burdened by poverty, illiteracy, hunger and disease. It had more problems than means to overcome them. To make matters even more challenging, it was born into a world that had just witnessed the most destructive war in human history. Astonishing new technologies-from computers to radars-developed and used during World War II were reshaping life across the globe, and India's leaders didn't want their country to be left behind. So, with dreams in their eyes and an abiding resolve, a small band of visionary policymakers, scientists and industrialists embarked on an ambitious quest to bring technological progress to the nation. Newly independent India lacked the knowledge to budy the technologies it needed and getting them from abroad wasn't always possible Countries that owned some of the most powerful technologies of the time weren't always willing to share them
Yet, India refused to give up. Instead, it found its own ways of imagining, building and using modern technology Slowly but surely, things began to change... Giant dams came up on large rivers, diverting water for up more lives, and farms and power plants. Electricity lit education opened up more minds to science and technology. Factories began to churn out everything from gleaming steel to cars and cutlery. Scrapyards were scoured for materials to build computers. Rockets were carried on bicycles before being launched into space. Mexican wheat was made 'chapati-ready to fight crippling food shortages. All kinds of imported technologies-from missiles to medicines were reverse-engineered to manufacture them locally. Roadways began to criss-cross the country, connecting more places, and cars became easier to spot. Today, India's technological achievements are recognized globally. It is the birthplace of some of the biggest software companies on the planet and its space programme is among the best in the world. For many Indians, modern technology has become part of daily life. At the click of a button, we can connect with someone across the globe, attend a class, order a meal, book a cab or stream a movie. Technology, however, is ever-changing and keeping up with it is a formidable challenge. Even as I write this introduction, artificial intelligence seems to be conquering the world, and people warn me of its dangers.
About The Book
From factories to farms, battlefields to boardrooms, clinics to classrooms-in the years since Independence, modern technology has swept through all corners of Indian life. But back in 1947, this seemed impossible. Low literacy, poverty and lack of expertise meant that newly independent India was unable to afford the mighty technologies of World War II that were reshaping the globe. Yet, a determined team of far-sighted policymakers and scientists dared to make the impossible possible. Today, India is home to leading software companies and a world-renowned space programme. For many Indians, modern technology has become part of daily life. Uncoded: A Technological History of Independent India is a story of one of the greatest technological transformations in the modern world. Blending a unique narrative with illustrations, trivia, anecdotes and an informative timeline, it explores how a nation used science and technology to rebuild itself and reimagine its destiny against all odds.
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