Through the Looking Glass

We all desire to see change and progress in our world. A safer, better future for our children. Yet, the agents of change often appear distant and removed. The politicians and bureaucrats seem to live in a world away from the concerns of the common man, the working professional, the farmer, the daily wage earner. Their actions and statements do not quite seem to mirror the lives, opinions or needs of all their constituents.
However, such a perception is flawed. To understand the workings of the world of the public servant, its perspectives and challenges, we must necessarily break free of our own comfort zone and cocoon of conditioned ideas. Through the Looking Glass, written from the unique perspective of an outsider who became an insider, gives the reader a ringside view into the corridors of power – the pulls and pressures, the challenges and excitement, the power and constraints. Narrated with clear-eyed logic, the author, a banking professional inducted into a bureaucrat world, traverses the challenge strewn path from bemused bewilderment to holistic understanding of the workings of a vast nation in the throes of change.
Understanding the System is the first step to executing change. And the System is vast, complex, and set in its own momentum. Change requires tremendous power. Yet that power lies in our hands – to build pathways and play active roles in the making of India. To be the change you wish to see.

AKHILESH TILOTIA, an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad, is a private sector professional who ventured into the hallowed portals of government.
A keen observer of the economic, political and social landscape, he works with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). He led Strategy and New Initiatives for Axis Bank, and worked with the Kotak group, The Boston Consulting Group, and was a co-founder of PARK Financial Advisors. A prolific columnist and commentator in the business media, Akhilesh brings a unique perspective to his commentary, viewing the world variously through the lens of a Government officer, a thematic analyst, an investment banker, a consultant, and a personal financial advisor.
These multiple world-views have allowed him to emerge as a dot-joiner who can piece together widely disparate issues into a coherent picture. His best selling book, The Making of India - GameChanging Transitions, made a case for converting the gaps in public services and economic fulfillment into opportunities for the private sector. This book views the India story from the perspectives of the various arms of Government which he observed closely in his three-year stint in New Delhi with a Union Minister.
He is passionate about astronomy, mythology, and chasing curiosities. You can follow him on @atilotia and on www.atilotia.com