India’s Car Economy Leaves Middle Class Fuming: Andy Mukherjee

The American way of life in the second half of the 20th century came to be synonymous with big cars, even bigger trucks, and the sprawling freeways on which they scurry about like purposeful ants. Cheerleaders point to productivity growth and the 24 cents private industry saved for every dollar invested in the highway network; critics talk about communities gutted by asphalt and the weakening of social ties in large cities. Nearly 75 years later, the car economy — with all its promises and pitfalls — has latched on to a new host half a world away.

At 6 million-plus kilometers (4 million miles), India’s road network is now the ...