Aravind Adiga, 33, won the 40th Man Booker prize on Tuesday night for his debut novel, “The White Tiger,” an exploration of India’s class struggle told through the story of a village boy’s journey from Indian village life to entrepreneurial success.

Adiga, who lives in Mumbai, was born in India. He studied at Columbia and Oxford and is a former correspondent for Time magazine in India. He is the second youngest writer to win the award, as well as the second Indian writer to win the prize.

The Man Booker Prize 2008 shortlisted novels also include:

Aravind Adiga The White Tiger (Atlantic)
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture (Faber and Faber)
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies (John Murray)
Linda Grant  The Clothes on Their Backs (Virago)
Philip Hensher Northern Clemency (Fourth Estate)
Steve Toltz  A Fraction of the Whole (Hamish Hamilton)

This year’s panel of judges was chaired by Michael Portillo former MP and Cabinet Minister. He is joined by Alex Clark, editor of Granta; Louise Doughty, novelist; James Heneage, founder of Ottakar’s bookshops and Hardeep Singh Kohli, TV and radio broadcaster.

For more information, visit the Booker Prize website.