From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition

Dani Rodrik and Arvind Subramanian

No 10376, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Most conventional accounts of India's recent economic performance associate the pick-up in economic growth with the liberalization of 1991. This paper demonstrates that the transition to high growth occured around 1980, a full decade before economic liberalization. We investigate a number of hypotheses about the causes of this growth favorable external environment, fiscal stimulus, trade liberalization, internal liberalization, the green revolution, public investment and find them wanting. We argue that growth was triggered by an attitudinal shift on the part of the national government towards a pro-business (as opposed to pro-liberalization) approach. We provide some evidence that is consistent with this argument. We also find that registered manufacturing built up in previous decades played an important role in influencing the pattern of growth across the Indian states.

JEL-codes: O4 O5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cwa, nep-dev and nep-pke
Note: EFG IFM
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (194)

Published as Dani Rodrik & Arvind Subramanian, 2004. "From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition," IMF Working Papers, vol 04(77).
Published as Dani Rodrik & Arvind Subramanian, 2005. "From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 52(2), pages 193-228, September.

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Journal Article: From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition (2005)
Working Paper: From 'Hindu Growth' to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition (2004)
Working Paper: From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition (2004)
Working Paper: From “Hindu Growth” to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition (2004)
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