Running behind Lakshmi: The Search for Wealth in India's Stock Market

Journey from ancient banyan trees to modern electronic trading screens with the authoritative two-century history of India’s stock market: Running behind Lakshmi by Adil Rustomjee!

About the Book: For millions of people, the stock market is the ultimate canvas for fantasies of sudden riches and transformed lives. Yet, despite being one of modern India's most transformative economic forces, the complete history and inner workings of its market have remained largely underexplored—until now. Written by chronicler and financial expert Adil Rustomjee, who spent years immersed deep inside the BSE archives, Running behind Lakshmi brings India's stock market vividly into focus. Spanning over two centuries, this sweeping narrative traces the journey from the early nineteenth century when a few traders swapped shares under banyan trees, through the frantic Cotton and Share Mania of the American Civil War, the quiet decades of the Nehruvian era, the great 1991 unshackling that opened the markets to the public, right up to the volatile market cycles of the new millennium. Blending rigorous archival research with hard-earned market lore, Rustomjee delivers an unforgettable tale brimming with financial pioneers, grand rivalries, epic scams, and daring adventures—telling the story of a nation and its people through a lens more relevant today than ever before.

Key Features & Benefits:

• Authoritative Archive History: Authored by Adil Rustomjee, drawing from years of firsthand immersion and archival research inside the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

• Two-Centuries of Financial Lore: Traces the complete evolution of Indian trading from nineteenth-century banyan trees to modern electronic screens.

• Dramatic True Stories: Packed with grand rivalries, high-stakes market scandals, colorful pioneers, and unforgettable turning points like the 1991 economic reforms.

• Analytical & Engaging: Seamlessly combines financial history, practical market insight, and captivating storytelling.

• The Perfect Gift: An essential, highly rewarding present for investors, history buffs, finance professionals, and anyone curious about how India learned to trade and build wealth.