India, February 1990 — South Block, Prime Minister's Office
Three days into office, Aryan had already broken protocol twenty-seven times.
He canceled the ceremonial motorcade.
He refused the welcome dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He sent back every flower bouquet with a handwritten thank-you note, but also a suggestion: "Send books next time. I read faster than I admire."
Aryan had no time for symbolism.
He knew India's biggest weakness wasn't its democracy. It was its economic philosophy.
That morning, in his first real policy meeting, Aryan made it clear:
"We're not tinkering with the machine. We're changing the engine."
Inside the cabinet room, a stunned silence followed.
"What engine, Aryan?" asked Commerce Minister S.K. Pradhan. "We've inherited 42 years of Nehruvian socialism. You can't just dismantle it in a week."
"I won't," Aryan replied, leaning forward. "I'll dismantle it in a day."
The Core Problem: The License Raj
Over the next five hours, Aryan walked his ministers through a data-heavy, jaw-dropping presentation.
Over 12,000 industrial licenses had been issued since independence—but less than 40% of them actually led to production.
Startups—a word almost alien in 1990—took average 38 months to begin operations.
Factories needed approval for power usage, ink usage, storage capacity, and sometimes, the number of toilets.
"This country invented the concept of zero," Aryan said. "But we turned it into the number of businesses that succeed without bribery."
Even the skeptical ministers couldn't argue.
The numbers spoke louder than ideology.
Birth of a New Doctrine: Open Build India (OBI)
That night, Aryan stayed back alone in the office.
By candlelight and System input, he outlined a radical new bill: the Industrial Licensing Amendment, 1990.
It had five core points:
No License Required for any non-core industry unless it deals in weapons, chemicals, or pharmaceuticals.
Single Window Clearance for any factory, trader, or tech startup.
Sunset Clause: Any application pending 90 days will be auto-approved unless serious objections raised.
Zero Minimum Capital Requirement for Indian entrepreneurs under 35.
Environmental and Labor Compliance as separate fast-track tracks—not obstacles.
He named the initiative Open Build India (OBI).
Not just economic reform. A civilizational revival.
Day of Reckoning — Parliament Floor, Feb 14, 1990
The Parliament chamber was full.
Aryan walked in without notes. Without fear.
The Speaker announced the bill.
Industry Minister Ramesh Verma gave the opening statement:
"We are not abandoning socialism. We are unshackling it. Let India dream, build, and risk again."
Opposition Leader Vikram Desai roared in protest:
"You are selling our nation to private wolves! This is a Western virus. Profit over people!"
Then Aryan rose.
He said nothing for a moment. Then, softly:
"Profit is people. A job is profit. A loan is profit. Hope is profit.
Today, if a young woman in rural Odisha wants to open a soap business, she must apply for 17 licenses. Wait for 200 days. Pay three bribes. And beg for a signature.
I ask this House: What nation asks its best to crawl?
I won't allow it anymore. You can call it capitalism. I call it common sense."
Voting Outcome
"Ayes?"
A roar: "Ayeeeee!"
"Nays?"
Murmurs.
Speaker: "The Ayes have it. The Bill is passed in Lok Sabha."
By midnight, it passed the Rajya Sabha too.
The Next Day — Media Frenzy
Doordarshan. The Hindu. The Statesman. Even BBC and Reuters.
Headlines read:
"License Raj Ends in One Stroke"
"Young PM Breaks Old Chains"
"Aryan's Shock Doctrine Delivers First Blow to Bureaucracy"
But the best reaction came not from media—but a small tea vendor in Gujarat, who said:
"I don't know what he passed. But my son says we don't need anyone's permission to dream anymore."
System Notification
[Mission Completed: Strike First Economic Reform]
[Reward: Talent Magnet Protocol v1.0 – Unlocks ability to locate and recruit global experts]
[Bonus: Title – Firestarter]
Aryan smiled at the blinking screen.
"Let's see how far we can burn."