This article critically explores The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga as a profound literary depiction of India’s social milieu. Set against the backdrop of economic liberalization, the novel delves into the harsh realities of poverty, corruption, caste-based oppression, and the relentless pursuit of freedom through capitalism. Through the protagonist Balram Halwai, Adiga provides a trenchant commentary on the moral ambiguities of social mobility and the dehumanizing structures of systemic inequality. The novel challenges the myth of India’s democratic progress by laying bare the contradictions inherent in the new India. This paper analyses the novel’s representation of the class divide, urban-rural dynamics, the corruption embedded in institutions, and the emergence of a new form of entrepreneurial subaltern. By contextualizing The White Tiger within contemporary Indian society, the study positions the novel as an essential lens through which the socio-economic transformations and enduring inequalities can be understood.