This book examines the key period of liberalisation in India from 1991 to 2008. It analyses the relationship between growth and liberalisation and, in particular, the recent ‘miracle growth rate’ and its sustainability in the current Indian economic environment. This book is a significant contribution to the growing debate on economic growth and liberalisation, and the broader subject of economic development in India and other developing countries.

The phenomenal growth and liberalisation of the Indian economy has been the subject of extensive scholarly documentation and competing interpretations. This book examines the key period of liberalisation in India from 1991 to 2008. It analyses the relationship between growth and liberalisation and, in particular, the recent ‘miracle growth rate’ and considers its sustainability in the current Indian economic environment. The book explores and re-evaluates the historical experience of planning in India between 1950 and 1980 as an alternative model of state-led economic development, discusses how far current rapid growth is the result of liberalisation, and how strong the case is for continued liberalisation today. The book is a significant contribution to the growing debate on economic growth and liberalisation, and the broader subject of economic development in India and other developing countries. It will appeal to students, researchers, lecturers and all those interested in South Asia in general and, India, in particular. It is also an essential resource for the study of international political economy and development economics.

July 1991 was a momentous month in the contemporary economic history of India, when a market-friendly set of policies shifted the centre of country's political economy more rightward than ever before. This book examines the 1990-91 reforms from different ideological perspectives. Authors from diverse backgrounds track the origins and continuation of liberal policies, dissecting the role of the state over the last 25 years in addressing issues like poverty, nutrition, and income inequality. It argues that neo-liberal globalisation, global capitalism and inclusive development have come to constitute the new order of things in the Indian economy, and examines the economic and social outcomes of the non-interventionist state. Explaining why there is still widespread dissatisfaction with the progress and outcome of reforms, the book elaborates on India's tumultuous start in the new millennium.

Six Years Have Passed Since The Fast Process Of Liberalisation And Globalisation Was Started In India In July 1991. The Book Examines The Achievements And Failures Of The Process Of Economic Reforms During This Period. It Makes Useful Suggestions To Make The Economic Reforms More Successful And Human. The Role Which The State Has To Play In Accelerating The Process Of Economic Development And In Lessening Social Tensions Involved In Rapid Economic Reforms Has Been Clearly Laid Down In Detail.The Book Studies The Experience Of Economic Reforms In Other Countries And The Lessons Which India Can Draw From That. It Also Examines The Role Which Multinationals Can Play In The Economic Development Of The Country.The Book Analyses The Impact Of Economic Reforms On The Agricultural Economy And The Cottage And Small Scale Sector. It Emphasises The Need For Greater Attention To These Sectors On Which Depends The Well Being Of An Overwhelming Portion Of The Population.A Host Of Issues Concerning The Process Of Liberalisation And Globalisation Have Been Examined By Fortyseven Economists Spread Over The Entire Country.The First Volume Was Published In 1995 And The Response Of Readers Was So Heavy That It Had To Be Reprinted Again. The Encouraging Response To The First Volume Has Led To The Publication Of The Second Volume.

In India, The Move Towards Globalisation And Free Trade Coincided With The Process Of Structural Reforms And Economic Liberalisation That Began In July 1991. Since Then The Country Has Seen A Significant Integration Of Markets In Commodity, Services, Finance And Technology With Other Countries. Right At The Outset Of Globalisation, Some Persons In India Like Those In Other Developing Countries Were Against This New Trend, Perceiving It As Elite-Driven And Incapable Of Bringing Qualitative Change In Peoples Lives. Fear Of Lagging Behind In The Race With The Advanced Countries, Which Would Ultimately Capture A Lion S Share In The Global Market, Had Further Led Some People To Oppose Globalisation.But The Present Scenario Is Altogether Different. India S Apprehensions About Globalisation Have Been Removed To Some Extent. Economic Liberalisation Has Paved Way For Rapid Technological Progress For India While Globalisation Has Given Its Young Talent Vast Employment Opportunities In America And Europe. Today, India Has Become A Big Market For Multinational Giants. There Is Hardly A Big-Name Company That Is Not Outsourcing To India. India Has Developed Several Hubs Of Information Technology-Enabled Services, Business Process Outsourcing, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals And Telecommunication. On The Contrary, The Advanced Countries Like The United States Are Now Fearing Globalisation Because They Are Losing Jobs In The International Corporate World To Indian Technical Experts. Globalisation And Liberalisation Have Brought New Opportunities In Our Country In Trade, Business, Services And Employment. The Atmosphere Is Vibrant. The Younger Generation Is Educated, Talented And Ambitious. The Opening Of International Markets Has Led To Earnest Endeavours To Improve Product Quality To Secure Marketing. Internationalisation And Privatisation Of Education Has Led To Updating Of Curriculum And Bring Technical Manpower That Would Implement The Latest Technology In Manufacturing And Servicing. The Globalisation Should Be Made An Instrument Of Rapid Economic Development In A Way That Its Benefits Reach All Regions Of The Country And All Sections Of Society.The Volume Has Wide Coverage Including In Its Spectrum The Structural Changes In The Indian Economy. Contributors To This Volume Have Not Only Recognised The Reality Of Globalisation As A Process Of Change But Have Also Comprehensively Dealt With The Major Issues And Concerns For India In The Context Of Globalisation. The Papers Closely Examine Important Implications And Impact Of Liberalisation And Globalisation Measures Taken By The Government In Recent Years.It Is Hoped That The Book Would Be Found Useful By The Researchers And Students Of Economics, Businessmen, Government Executives, Parliamentarians And Legislators, Concerned With The Formulation And Execution Of Economic Policies, And The General Readers Interested In Knowing The Changes That Are Taking Place In Our Economy.

In 1984, Pranab Bardhan published his classic work The Political Economy of Development in India. It went on to become one of the most influential references on the political economy of development in the pre-reform period of independent India. Class and Conflict reflects on the enduring influence of Bardhan’s original publication in the context of post-liberalization developments in India. Drawing on their own world-leading research, the contributors to this volume engage with a wide range of issues, such as whether big business dominates India today, how subsidies retard economic growth, and how the middle classes are transforming politics. Together they try to answer the big question: what has really changed in the political and economic climate of the country over the last 30 years? Exploring the continuities and changes that have characterized India’s political economy since 1984, this volume takes stock of the main challenges of India’s economic development today. It contributes to current debates on economic growth, crony capitalism, agrarian crisis, the politics of class and caste, and the role of the state in a liberalizing economy.