How can India catch up to China? The importance of social investment
Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
6-2015
Abstract
After twenty years of economic reform and liberalization, is India now on pace to close the development gap with China? To assess this prospect, I analyzed multi-decade trends across six dimensions of human capabilities crucial to both individual and national development: 1) economic, 2) health, 3) infrastructure, 4) knowledge and technology, 5) public administration and 6) gender equality. I also conducted a focused comparison of two industrial sectors: software services and equipment manufacturing. The evidence shows that India is starting to catch up in several sectors, but overall China currently has a significant lead on most economic and technological indicators. Whereas most scholars studying this divergence have focused on shifting economic policies as the key to convergence, I argue that lingering development gaps may primarily be a result of India’s lower levels of social investment. Thus, if India is to catch up and surpass China, it will not only need supportive economic policies but must also concentrate heavily on expanding and improving rural infrastructure, education, and especially gender equality.
Discipline
Asian Studies | Political Science | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Research Areas
Political Science
Publication
India Review
Volume
14
Issue
2
First Page
238
Last Page
267
ISSN
1557-3036
Identifier
10.1080/14736489.2015.1030200
Citation
JOSHI, Devin K..(2015). How can India catch up to China? The importance of social investment. India Review, 14(2), 238-267.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1925
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/14736489.2015.1030200