In 1991 India was ailing internally, wracked by political turmoil, social ferment and economic stagnation. It had to cope with waning significance abroad, suspicion in the region and turbulence at home. Dr Thakur's concern is to explore how India might recover its poise in order to enhance its market presence and expand its influence in world affairs.

Dr. Thakur argues that stability and prosperity at home and in the region will enhance India's global status and give credibility to its claims to world leadership. He shows how India can change to a radically more productive domestic policy through market-opening measures, and a dramatically more cooperative policy in its bilateral, regional and international relations.

Friendships with Pakistan and China would enable India to lead the way to collective regional prosperity, which in turn would help to define the terms of its integration with the rest of Asia-Pacific. Peace and prosperity at home and in its home region would also help to contain and offset the damage in relations with Russia while improving those with the USA on the basis of mutual respect and equality.