"Today, India is where China was 10, 15 years ago," he says. "I think I can understand a little better what's happening here, because I've seen it happening in another culture."

"First, I see a consensus, that, enough's enough; we have to get rich. I mean, when we say developed, it's just a euphemism, because developed means rich. It's not like we're retarded or anything. We are developed as a people; we're just not rich enough. Second, we have a generation that is willing to put aside differences. We don't want to care about the caste system. We don't want to care about religion. We just want India to move on."

This tension between the generations fascinates Chetan; as he himself says, "I've absolutely seen a notable change in attitude, amongst young people. The youth just want to break free, to shed all these hang-ups and problems of the older generations. Thirty years ago, we talked about India being a superpower, but there was some hollowness there. Today, we feel like that if we get it right, if you behave properly, if you work hard, you can probably make it."

When asked about current problems still plaguing India, sectarian and religious violence, poverty, and discrimination, Chetan claims they are vestigial remnants of a bygone era, a cultural hangover, so to speak, of the older generation. "See, people who grew up between the 1960s and 1980s, are a very boring generation, according to me," he asserts.

"The generation before that was a real kick-ass one; they got India free. They kicked the Brits out. What a generation! What a leader in Gandhi! But the 1960s to 19'80s was the boring generation, believing in socialism, without really understanding it."

Compare that, he says, with the current crop of youngsters. "Today's generation is a hungry generation, a more interesting one. They want everything by 25. They know that they can achieve more. It's not greed. It's like, 'I don't want to live in a country where there are people who don't have food at night, who don't have a proper house. There are countries in the world where everyone can buy a Toyota; why not my country?'"

Paralleling this change in attitude, in financial status, and in cultural mores, is a change in taste. "It was always understood that nobody in India buys books," he says. "But I felt that could change, so I set out to be an Indian author."

Image: Indian girls celebrate

Also read: Vikram Seth chats on rediff.com

Buy A G Krishnamurthy's Dhirubhaism on rediff.com

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