The pattern and causes of economic growth in India

Abstract

This paper presents the broad macro parameters of the growth of the Indian economy since the nation's independence and a cross-country evaluation of where India stands, drawing out the patterns discernible in these aggregative statistics. The paper gives an overview of the on-going debate on the components of the Indian growth and the relative importance of the different policies in the 1980s and 1990s. It contributes to this debate by identifying the landmark years, and analysing the politics behind some of the economics. The paper also analyses the factors behind the changes in India's savings rate and the relation between growth and development, on the one hand, and the nature of labour market regulation, on the other.