A Year of Radical Retrospection
As the 2025 has gone by, the Indian literary landscape stands as a testament to a nation deeply engaged in the act of “looking back to look forward.” This year, the printed word served as more than just entertainment; it acted as a vital corrective to the fleeting nature of digital discourse. We witnessed a remarkable trend where veteran authors, some of whom had been silent for years, returned with works that felt both urgent and timeless.
The “Class of 2025” has been characterized by two distinct movements. On one hand, there was a bold reclaiming of history, from William Dalrymple’s reassessment of ancient trade routes to Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s personal history of the Republic. On the other, we saw a fierce, contemporary introspection, with authors like Ravikant Kisana and Banu Mushtaq challenging social hierarchies with surgical precision. Whether through the lens of a sweeping historical epic or the intimate confines of a railway colony, these books offer a roadmap to understanding the complex, multi-layered identity of modern India.
The 2025 Literary Highlights
- Heart Lamp
Author: Banu Mushtaq (Translated by Deepa Bhasthi)
Publisher: And Other Stories
Detailed Summary: Originally written in Kannada, this collection of 12 stories is a surgical examination of the lives of women within Muslim communities in South India. Mushtaq, a veteran journalist and lawyer, avoids the trap of treating Muslim identity as a monolith. Instead, she explores how patriarchy, class, and religious tradition intersect. Stories like the title piece, Heart Lamp, follow women who attempt to flee toxic domesticity only to find themselves pulled back by the gravity of “social shame.”
Award/Mention: Winner of the International Booker Prize 2025; the first short-story collection to ever win this prestigious award.
- The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World
Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Bloomsbury India
Detailed Summary: Dalrymple argues that for a millennium, India was the world’s primary “cultural heart,” exporting mathematics, religion, and philosophy across Eurasia. He details the “Golden Road”—maritime and overland routes that predated the Silk Road—through which Indian “soft power” spread to Tang China and the Red Sea.
Award/Mention: Shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize 2025.
- Island
Author: Sujit Saraf
Publisher: Speaking Tiger
Detailed Summary: Inspired by the real-life 2018 tragedy of John Chau, this novel follows a disgraced anthropologist in Port Blair. When a young missionary seeks his help to reach the forbidden North Sentinel Island, the story spirals into a meditation on nationalism, the ethics of uncontacted tribes, and the failures of the state.
Award/Mention: Shortlisted for the Mumbai LitFest Book of the Year (Fiction).
- Meet The Savarnas
Author: Ravikant Kisana
Publisher: Context / Westland
Detailed Summary: A provocative critique of the Indian millennial elite. Kisana turns the spotlight on “Savarna” (upper-caste) privilege, dismantling the myth of “caste-blindness” in urban India. He examines how privilege manifests in dating, movies, and corporate boardrooms, challenging the mediocrity of those who hold the most power.
Award/Mention: Widely cited by Scroll.in as the “most uncomfortable yet necessary read of the year.”
- Ratan Tata: A Life
Author: Thomas Mathew
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Detailed Summary: This 760-page definitive biography traces the life of the late industrial titan. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, Mathew covers Tata’s lonely childhood, his education at Cornell, and his transformative leadership of the Tata Group, focusing heavily on his ethical compass and philanthropy.
Award/Mention: A consistent bestseller; praised by The Hindu for its “immaculate detail.”
- The Undying Light: A Personal History of Independent India
Author: Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Detailed Summary: Gandhi offers a reflective look at India’s journey since 1947. As the grandson of both Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari, his narrative blends the intimacy of personal memory with the rigor of a historian, covering everything from the Emergency to the digital revolution.
Award/Mention: Shortlisted for the Mumbai LitFest Book of the Year (Non-fiction).
- How India Scaled Mt G20
Author: Amitabh Kant
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Detailed Summary: Written by India’s G20 Sherpa, this “inside story” details the strategic maneuvering and backroom diplomacy required to pass the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. It highlights the push to include the African Union and the logistical feat of hosting events in 60 Indian cities.
Award/Mention: Highlighted by The Economic Times as the definitive political record of 2025.
- The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community
Author: Nirmala Lakshman
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Detailed Summary: A comprehensive overview of Tamil history, literature, and identity. Lakshman explores the concept of Tamilakam and traces the language’s 5,000-year legacy, balancing ancient Sangam poetry with modern cinema and politics.
Award/Mention: Commended by The Week for its “objective and unbiased” cultural analysis.
- A Fly on the RBI Wall
Author: Alpana Killawala
Publisher: Penguin Business
Detailed Summary: An insider’s view of the Reserve Bank of India. Killawala, who led the RBI’s communication for 26 years, shares anecdotes about six governors and navigates through major financial crises, including the Harshad Mehta scam.
Award/Mention: Shortlisted for the Business Book of the Year at the Mumbai LitFest.
- The Chola Tigers
Author: Amish Tripathi
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Detailed Summary: Moving away from pure mythology, Amish explores historical fiction through the lens of the Chola Empire. The book focuses on the maritime prowess and military genius of the Chola navy as they expanded their influence across Southeast Asia.
Award/Mention: Topped national fiction bestseller lists for 20 weeks.
- India: 5000 Years of History
Author: Audrey Truschke
Publisher: Penguin India
Detailed Summary: A sweeping, often controversial historical narrative that attempts to synthesize the vast timelines of the subcontinent. Truschke focuses on how different eras of Indian history, from the Indus Valley to the Mughals—have been reimagined in modern politics.
Award/Mention: Extensively reviewed in The Wire and The Indian Express.
- Engineering a Nation: The Life and Career of M. Visvesvaraya
Author: Aparajith Ramnath
Publisher: Penguin Random House India
Summary: A definitive biography of one of India’s most iconic nation-builders. Ramnath explores Visvesvaraya’s role as an engineer, statesman, and visionary whose projects laid the foundation for modern Indian infrastructure and industrialization.
Award/Mention: Winner of the 2025 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize.
Conclusion
From the historic International Booker win for Heart Lamp to the commercial success of Chola Tigers, the year has proven that the “Indian story” is being told with more confidence and variety than ever before. As we have moved into 2026, these books remain essential reading—not just for their literary merit, but for their ability to help us navigate the complexities of our shared reality. In a world of scrolling feeds and fleeting headlines, these volumes remind us that some truths can only be captured in the slow, deliberate turning of a page.
By: Muzamil Masood
Author is CEO BookVision, Srinagar.
