Plan, strategise, and welcome the new year with our hand-picked books for 2022

The new year is a time for new plans, resolutions, and strategies. Even as we look forward to the brand new year, we want to stay away from repeating old mistakes, perceptions, and misconceptions. 2022 is a time for new beginnings and new lessons. It is a time to let go of the old us and enter the year with renewed determination.

To guide us through the new year, we’ve curated a list of books that could help us learn, re-organise our goals, and truly chase our dreams. These books, penned by leaders, give us an insight into their thoughts, the way ahead, and the vision they see for India.

Indomitable: A Working Woman's Notes on Work, Life and Leadership by Arundhati Bhattacharya

How did a small town girl chair India’s largest bank? How did she make her own space in a male-dominated sector? Arundhati Bhattacharya became the first woman to be the chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI) and under her leadership, the bank overcame some of its hardest phases. With Arundhati at its helm, SBI metamorphosed into a customer-centric and digitally advanced bank while playing a pivotal role in national development. Her banking career spanning four decades has been routinely celebrated and her leadership has inspired many, yet not many know that it all began with a chance.

Through sheer chance, she got to know about the bank probationary officers’ entrance examination through a friend. Arundhati went on to apply, she got selected, and the rest is history. Her book Indomitable is candid and it takes the reader through her childhood and early education in the 1960s. From there, the story progresses to getting to Kolkata for her college education and then into the SBI, where she started her career.

The book covers various aspects of her journey, the highs, and the lows. It takes readers through moments when she wanted to quit her career to balance her family life better, how she handled life with her humour and positivity and took up new assignments as a lesson in adapting. Hidden at the heart of the book is the message that you need to embrace challenges, break barriers, push forward, and achieve greater heights like a true leader.

Buy it here - Indomitable - HarperCollins Publishers India

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The Ambuja Story: How a Group of Ordinary Men Created an Extraordinary Company by Narotam Sekhsaria

The Ambuja Story is one of pure determination, grit, and integrity. It is a story of chasing your dreams, whatever it takes. Back in 1983, Narotam Sekhsaria was a cotton trader with cement or limestone. But he had a dream - to become an industrialist.

Back in the 80s, everything right from production to consumption was controlled by the government. But Narotam saw potential in cement and its role in a growing nation. Navigating uncharted waters, he decided to trust his intuition and launch Ambuja Cement. The Ambuja Story takes the reader through Narotam’s journey of dreaming and accomplishing his goals. Under his leadership, Ambuja Cement went on to become one of the biggest cement companies in the world. Along the way, Narotam’s company broke many stereotypes such as cement production can’t be environment-friendly, good cement can’t be cheap, and it isn’t easy to market a product as boring as cement. Over the years, Ambuja Cement has become the benchmark for various competitors.

The book also talks about Narotam’s vision beyond just the financial success of his brand. Apart from leading Ambuja Cement to great heights, the man at the heart of it was also undertaking various community development projects around Ambuja plants. He contributed greatly to women empowerment, skill development, health, and education in the community. Through the book, you’ll see Narotam’s determination, his perspective on work and life, and how you can truly lead in all aspects of life.

Buy it here: The Ambuja Story - HarperCollins Publishers India

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The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential by Naushad Forbes

After years of independence, we are truly looking at an age where India can make a name for itself on a global scale. Our private sector is thriving, our young population is thirsty for education and achievement, and our diverse culture has something for everyone. There’s also the dream of achieving a $5 trillion economy in the next few years. But while the country is working towards it, the journey is far from easy. In The Struggle and The Promise, Naushad Forbes questions India’s progress and offers research-backed answers for us to reach our true potential.

He analyses policy, industry, education, economy, technology, international trade and institutions, and reveals how government, citizens, and firms can enable India to lead together. He deep-dives into our current situation and notes how we can fix things by learning, by ensuring openness, inclusivity, and innovation and how our culture can lead to leadership.

Buy it here: The Struggle And The Promise: Restoring India's Potential - HarperCollins Publishers India

An Economist's Quest for Reforms: The Vajpayee and Manmohan Years by Arvind Panagariya

India saw high growth during the years of Dr Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Padma Bhushan economist Arvind Panagariya documents the tenures of both eminent leaders and the economic reforms they adopted that took the country to where it is now.

Dr Panagariya served as the first Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog, Government of India in the rank of a Cabinet Minister from January 2015 to August 2017. He is a renowned author as well as a professor of economics. In his books, he highlights the reforms that took place, what worked, and what India can look forward to in the future. Through his lens, readers can get an in-depth understanding of India’s economic growth and what truly contributed to its growth.

All the above titles are available at HarperCollins, click here.