Power of Uncertainty by Anand V. & Srinath Sridharan

Book Title: Power of Uncertainty
Author(s): Anand V. & Srinath Sridharan
Publisher: Rupa Publications India
Number of Pages: 272
ISBN: 9376468589
Date Published: Aug. 5, 2026

Book Review

In “Power of Uncertainty“, authors Anand V. and Srinath Sridharan deliver a sharp, insightful critique of India’s technological ambitions and digital sovereignty claims. The authors argue that while India celebrates digital achievements like Aadhaar and UPI, it remains structurally dependent on foreign hardware, cloud networks, and global supply chains. Instead of achieving true self-reliance, the country often mistakes superficial digital adoption for genuine industrial, financial, and research power.

Through vivid real-world cases, the book illustrates how imported policy frameworks—such as FATF-driven Know Your Customer (KYC) mandates—have metastasised into tools for bureaucratic harassment, financial fraud, and citizen extortion. The authors highlight how a weak domestic manufacturing base leaves the nation vulnerable to external pressures, while regulators repeatedly fall into the trap of regulating “myths” rather than mathematical realities. This is evident in flawed attempts to mandate message traceability or in treating artificial intelligence as a human-like entity rather than a statistical tool.

To chart a way forward, the authors propose a “Digital Panchsheel” framework centered on open-source development, export-driven innovation, and grassroots economic freedom. While the narrative can feel dense due to its wide-ranging policy critiques, its central thesis is powerful and timely: true digital sovereignty cannot be declared through slogans, but must be built on deep industrial capacity, technical mastery, and institutional trust.

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