"A 'must read' for all IT Professionals in India"

Current Science, 25 June 2009

Reviewed by S Sadagopan

This is an unusual book in more ways than one. Right from its title it talks of the ‘long’ revolution, unlike many accounts both from India and abroad, which project Indian IT to have started with Y2K!

It is written by a person with a background in journalism, and yet the book is well researched, has copious references, includes a comprehensive index and provides due acknowledgements to

the hundreds of organizations and individuals.

Though a long book, it is immensely readable. There are nuggets (like DoE putting conditions to Fairchild Semiconductors) that are not widely known to the younger generation; these add special value to the book. All in all, a timely book that is a ‘must read’ for all IT professionals in India who are keen on ‘tracing the roots’ and anyone wanting to understand the true nature of an undoubtedly important revolution that is taking place in India over the past five decades (more visible in the past 10+ years).

'This Book is Worth its Weight'

Civil Society, April 2009

This book is worth is weight. Dinesh C Sharma tells us the fascinating story of the growth of India's IT sector from start to finish. He writes like a good journalist digging out heaps of unknown stories. Never does he bore the reader.

We get to know how the foundation of the IT boom was laid. Sharma takes us from the Nehru-Bhabha era to the Indira Gandhi years. Rajiv Gandhi's great contribution, of course, very big. He took technology to a new level by frocussing on its wider application. The growth of a ribust IT sector has a lot to do with state patronage and the importance government gave to building quality technical education.