#Review: Fault Lines by Niladri Roy

Fault Lines — Leading Through India’s Era of AI, Platforms, and Reinvention
Author: Niladri Roy
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Rating: 4/5

Fault Lines by Niladri Roy is an insightful exploration of how organisations respond—or fail to respond—to structural changes in their industries. Rather than treating disruption as a sudden event, Roy presents it as something that often develops quietly through shifting technology, consumer behaviour, competition and institutional choices.

What makes the book engaging is its use of real-world stories. Cases involving Moser Baer, MTV India and BSNL illustrate how organisations can overlook early warning signs, while examples such as Reliance Jio, Tata Group, Infosys and Indian Railways demonstrate different approaches to reinvention. The contrast makes the central idea particularly effective: by the time disruption becomes obvious, the underlying “fault line” may already have been developing for years.

The book also introduces practical frameworks such as the Fault Line Fragility Index, Early Signal Radar, Fault Line Disruption Dashboard and Fault Line Maturity Model, giving the discussion a useful managerial dimension rather than keeping it purely theoretical.

I particularly appreciated the book’s connection between India’s economic transformation, digital public infrastructure, platforms and the emerging AI era. It encourages readers to look beyond immediate performance and ask what structural changes might be quietly reshaping an organisation’s future.

A thoughtful and relevant read for business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and anyone interested in understanding how organisations survive—and reinvent themselves—when the rules of the game change.

Find this book here.