Top 10 Best-Selling Novels in India Right Now: A Must-Read List

Some books just stick. In India, a few titles have been read, re-read, gifted, borrowed, and talked about for years. You’ll find them in schoolbags, at railway stalls, or lying around in someone’s house long after the first read.

If you’re just looking for something people keep going back to, not because of hype but because the stories stay with them — this is where to start. No frills, just some of the best-selling novels in India that have actually lasted.

List of 10 Best-Selling Novels in India

Here’s the list of 10 best-selling novels in India that have captured readers’ hearts across generations.

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Heart Lamp

Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp beautifully captures the daily lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. The images of family and communal tensions, first published in Kannada, reflect Mushtaq’s years as a journalist and lawyer, during which she relentlessly advocated for women’s rights and criticised all types of caste and religious discrimination.

It’s in her characters – the sparky youngsters, the daring grandmothers, the buffoonish maulvis and hooligan siblings, the oft-hapless spouses, and, most importantly, the mothers, who survive their sentiments at great cost.

• Author: Banu Mushtaq

• Price: ₹399-248

• Genre: Literary fiction

The White Tiger – Aravind Adiga

A spectacular literary debut and one of the best-selling novels in India, The White Tiger is a spectacular literary debut that some have compared to Richard Wright’s Native Son. It follows a darkly comedic Bangalore driver through the poverty and corruption of the modern Indian caste system.

A landmark in modern Indian fiction, The White Tiger is one of the top selling novels in India and a powerful debut by Aravind Adiga. Balram writes a letter to the president of China on the occasion of his upcoming visit to Bangalore, outlining his change and experience as a driver and servant to a wealthy Indian family, which he believes symbolises the paradoxes and complexity of Indian society.

• Author: Aravind Adiga

• Price: ₹350-250

• Genre: Literary fiction

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The God of Small Things

You know how there are books that just keep popping up in conversations? This is one of those. It’s centered on these twins—Estha and Rahel—growing up down in Kerala. Their world? Kind of messy. Lots of family drama, rules that feel too tight, and then… something happens. Something big. And everything shifts.

The way it’s told isn’t straightforward—jumps around a lot. Not much of a typical plot, to be honest. But the way it feels? That hits hard.

It’s definitely not a quick read or for everyone. But if you like books that sit with emotions and don’t rush, this one might stick with you long after you’re done.

• Author: Arundhati Roy

• Price: ₹350–₹500

• Genre: Literary fiction, Political fiction

A Suitable Boy

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth isn’t your average novel. It’s huge—like, really long—and kind of feels like stepping into India just after independence. The story mostly revolves around Lata Mehra. She’s a young woman trying to figure out love and life, while her mom’s busy trying to marry her off to the “right” guy.

It’s not just about her though. The book zooms out a lot—family stuff, politics, college life, religion—it’s all in there. Feels more like living in that time than reading about it.

But it’s not just about Lata—Seth takes you into the lives of her extended family and a whole cast of characters connected by politics, religion, and love. There’s no rush here. The book moves slowly, diving deep into family conversations, student politics, arranged marriage meetings, and the messy stuff that makes up real life. At over 1,300 pages, it’s long, yes—but if you stick with it, you’ll come out with a better feel for the people and the mood of that era than most history books can give you.

• Author: Vikram Seth

• Price: ₹500–₹750

• Genre: Literary fiction, Historical fiction

Midnight’s Children

This novel by Salman Rushdie doesn’t follow the usual rules. It mixes real history with wild imagination. The story centers around Saleem Sinai, a boy born right at the stroke of midnight on the day India became independent. As he grows up, it turns out he’s not the only one born at that moment—there are others, and they all have strange abilities. But beyond the magic, it’s really about India itself: its messy politics, its hopes, and its growing pains. The writing is dense and full of twists, but if you stay with it, there’s a lot to take in.

• Author: Salman Rushdie

• Price: ₹400–₹600

• Genre: Literary fiction

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The Namesake

Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake quietly explores what it feels like to grow up between two cultures. Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants in the U.S., wrestles with his unusual name, his roots, and his place in the world. The story doesn’t shout—it unfolds gently, through the small moments of family life, cultural confusion, and the push and pull of identity. It’s a book many people can relate to, especially if they’ve ever felt caught between where they come from and where they’re trying to fit in.

• Author: Jhumpa Lahiri

• Price: ₹300–₹450

• Genre: Literary fiction, Contemporary fiction

The Immortals (or The Immortals of Meluha)

This one’s completely different in tone—a fast-paced mythological retelling by Amish Tripathi. It imagines Shiva not as a god, but as a man from the mountains who finds himself in a land where people believe he’s their prophesied savior. There’s war, politics, and philosophy wrapped into a setting that feels both ancient and surprisingly modern. The book moves quickly, with action scenes and bold ideas, and it helped start a whole new wave of Indian fantasy writing. It’s also the first in a popular trilogy.

• Author: Amish Tripathi

• Price: ₹250–₹350

• Genre: Mythological fiction, Fantasy

The Palace of Illusions

This novel gives Draupadi a voice we’ve never heard before. Instead of just being part of a grand epic, she comes across as a real woman with her own doubts, anger, and longings. The story doesn’t just follow the Mahabharata—it questions it from her point of view. That’s what makes it so compelling. It feels like someone from thousands of years ago suddenly started speaking directly to us.

• Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

• Price: ₹300–₹500

• Genre: Mythological fiction

Shadow Lines

Shadow Lines isn’t an easy book to sum up—it moves through memories more than plot. But that’s its strength. It connects places like Kolkata, Dhaka, and London not through events, but through how people remember them. It’s more about what borders mean to individuals than what they mean politically. If you’ve ever felt like home is more than one place, this book speaks to that confusion. Books in Delhi on olx

• Author: Amitav Ghosh

• Price: ₹300–₹450

• Genre: Literary fiction, Political fiction

Train to Pakistan

Train to Pakistan is not just a novel; it’s a haunting chronicle of Partition’s wounds. Through the small village of Mano Majra, Khushwant Singh captures how ordinary lives were torn apart by politics, religion, and hate. What makes it powerful is its intimacy—Partition is not shown as maps and borders, but as broken families, lost loves, and trains that carried silence heavier than words.

• Author: Khushwant Singh

• Price: ₹250–₹400

• Genre: Historical fiction, Political fiction

Conclusion

There’s something for everyone in Indian fiction—whether you like stories from the past, tales that dig into society, or books that simply make you feel something real. These novels aren’t just popular; they’ve stuck around because readers keep coming back to them.

If you’re building your reading list, these are solid picks for best-selling novels in India. And if new books seem pricey, don’t forget—used copies and budget Kindles are always an option. You’ll find plenty of great reads without breaking the bank.

Bookworm on a budget? OLX offers pre-owned bestsellers and Kindles that let you read more and spend less.