How Cold War geopolitics and domestic capitalism changed the trajectory of India’s computing industry
India today is widely recognized for producing world-class tech talent and Silicon Valley leaders, yet captures only a fraction of the global tech industry’s profits, primarily providing skilled but inexpensive labor for Western corporations. Computing in the Age of Decolonization uncovers the overlooked history behind this paradox, tracing India's ambitious but ultimately thwarted drive to build a self-reliant computing industry from the 1950s to the 1980s.
After independence in 1947, Indian scientists and policymakers at institutions such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research saw computing as central to national sovereignty, economic growth, and scientific advancement. Through projects such as the groundbreaking TIFRAC computer and the decisive expulsion of IBM, they aimed for technological independence. But almost immediately, these initiatives faced powerful political and economic headwinds. Indian computer scientists grappled with Cold War politics, international trade imbalances, US corporate monopolies, and strategic decisions by India's technocratic elite, who favored profitable technical services over costly investments in research and manufacturing.
In narrating this lost future, Computing in the Age of Decolonization shows that genuine technological independence requires more than technical expertise—it demands addressing enduring political and social structures rooted in colonial legacies. As global struggles over technology intensify, this book reveals how historical pathways continue to shape contemporary battles for technological and economic sovereignty.
eBook - ePub
Computing in the Age of Decolonization
India’s Lost Technological Revolution
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
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Information
Publisher
Princeton University PressYear
2026Print ISBN
9780691268224
9780691268217
eBook ISBN
9780691287423
Table of contents
- Cover
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1. The Ghost in the Machine
- 2. Cosmic Dreams
- 3. Building the First Machine
- 4. Partners and Predators
- 5. Self-Reliance 2.0
- 6. Capitulation
- 7. First as Tragedy
- List of Key Characters
- Glossary of Technical Terms
- Notes
- Index
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Yes, you can access Computing in the Age of Decolonization by Dwaipayan Banerjee in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Computer Science General. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.