Honest John: A Life of John Matthai

• John Matthai was one of the important but relatively forgotten figures of post-independence India. He served as the country's first Railways and Transport Minister and later as Finance Minister, resigning from the latter position because of differences with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru over the Planning Commission.

  Beyond government, Matthai held significant positions in the Tata organization and was a close associate of J. R. D. Tata. He also chaired the Taxation Enquiry Commission and became the first chairman of the State Bank of India, the National Book Trust and the Administrative Staff College of India. He was also the founding president of the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

• Bakhtiar K. Dadabhoy is a writer and biographer whose books include Jeh: A Life of JRD Tata, Sugar in Milk: Lives of Eminent Parsis, Barons of Banking: Glimpses of Indian Banking History, The Magnificent Diwan and Zubin Mehta: A Musical Journey. He studied at Hindu College, Delhi University, and the Delhi School of Economics.

Honest John brings the life of John Matthai back into focus, examining his contribution to India's political, economic and institutional development after independence.

The biography follows Matthai's journey from economist to cabinet minister and influential institution-builder. It explores his work in the Railways and Transport Ministry and Finance Ministry, as well as his disagreements with Nehru over India's economic planning.

The book also looks at Matthai's association with J. R. D. Tata and his later leadership roles in major Indian institutions. Through Matthai's career, Dadabhoy provides a broader picture of the debates, challenges and ideas that influenced the making of modern India.