India dreams of a glorious future: to be a great power with global influence. And that may soon be within its reach - it has a young, dynamic and increasingly skilled population, a large and fast-growing economy and, as a democracy, its rise is welcomed by the West.

But, as Adam Roberts shows here, India must overcome equally large challenges. Travelling from Kashmir to Kerala, he gathers evidence of a changing nation, as India seeks to shape its relationships with China, Pakistan and America, resolve the legacy of colonialism and improve the health and education of its citizens.

Drawing on years of on-the-ground research as the Economist's South Asia Bureau Chief, and interviews with everyone from rickshaw drivers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is essential reading for anyone who asks what the future holds for an immense and globally important nation.