Magnificent palaces in Rajasthan, colorful temples in South India, the mighty peaks of the Himalayas – these are the postcard images that many envision when they think of India. Others picture crowds of people, ragged beggars, and mountains of garbage. Both are correct. India is a land of contrasts. While some cities are ultra-modern, the way of life in rural areas has hardly changed in the last century. The contrasts could not be more striking: on one hand, India is venturing into space, while on the other, it struggles to provide a reliable electricity supply. For many decades, India, which gained independence in 1947, was a very poor country. However, since India opened up to the outside world in the 1990s, this has changed – though not for everyone. In the past 20 years, it has...