Localising surveillance capitalism: caste, data, and power in Samit Basu’s Chosen Spirits

This article analyses Samit Basu’s Chosen Spirits (2020) as a literary exploration of the techno-economic logic behind surveillance capitalism. Using Shoshana Zuboff’s theoretical framework, the paper contends that the novel depicts how human experience becomes raw material for behavioural data extraction, prediction, and monetisation. Set in a near-future Delhi, the narrative portrays a digitally saturated society where algorithmic systems, corporate platforms, and biometric technologies reorganise daily life around continuous data collection. The article examines how Basu’s fictional ecosystem—comprising the Flowverse platform, smart tattoos, AI assistants, and influencer economies—illustrates Zuboff’s concept of instrumentarian power, a form of governance that influences behaviour through predictive analytics rather than coercion. The study also highlights how this global techno-economic model is localised within India’s socio-political landscape, particularly through the rise of an access-caste that monopolises informational power. By situating Basu’s dystopian narrative within discussions of data colonialism, algorithmic governmentality, and digital labour, the article shows how contemporary Indian dystopian fiction offers a valuable cultural framework for understanding the social and political impacts of surveillance capitalism.