Inclusive Growth and Development in India ― Challenges for Underdeveloped Regions and the Underclass

India is one of the fastest growing countries in the world but high economic growth has been accompanied by social stratification and widening economic disparity between states. This study provides a comprehensive picture of uneven growth and development within regions in India. Inclusive growth, broadly defined as rapid growth benefiting every section of society, has been the main strategy pursued by the present government of India. While the existing literature on inclusive growth tends to examine the trend and extent of economic inequality over years, or discusses inclusive growth in a wide range of social and economic areas, this book, building on the findings of Inclusiveness in India: A Strategy for Growth and Equality, critically examines inclusive growth and development by paying particular attention to widening disparities between regions, and social and economic stratifications.

An team of renowned scholars bring together a wealth of research to illustrates the important aspects of underdevelopment and the process by which the underclass has been left behind through focusing on the country's most neglected regions. Based on original surveys and fieldwork, individual chapters focus on critical issues such as; agricultural underdevelopment; economic growth and increasing intrastate disparity; the process and impact of migration, both at place of origin and destination; and administrative constraints to the implementation of pro-poor policies. In so doing, the book suggests how inclusive growth aimed at distributing the benefits of development to disadvantaged sections of society can be achieved.

Yuko Tsujita is an associate senior research fellow at IDE-JETRO, Japan. Her current research interests include education, migration and urban development. She is the co-editor of Inclusiveness in India: A Strategy for Growth and Equality (Palgrave Macmillan). Her work focuses mainly on South Asia.