Mahabharata in Polyester

Dhirubhai Ambani was a rags-to-riches Indian tycoon whose company Reliance is now one of India’s major corporations. Ambani’s sons Anil and Mukesh, who took over after their father's death in 2002, are worth $43 billion and $42 billion respectively, but their relationship is far from amiable. Demonstrating the complicated links between government and big business, this account is not only the riveting story of one of the wealthiest families in the world—including their infamous feud—but also an illustration of India’s transformation into a global economic powerhouse.

Hamish McDonald is the Asia-Pacific editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and a former editor of the Far East Asian Economic Review. He is the two-time recipient of the Walkley Award and an inaugural fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.