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A Decade of Economic Reforms in India: the Unfinished Agenda

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  • Nirupam Bajpai

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the economic reforms in India undertaken during the 1990s. India has gone through the first decade of her reform process. Hence, an assessment of what has been achieved so far and what remains on the reform agenda is in order. Reforms in the industrial, trade, and financial sectors, among others, have been wide and deep. As a consequence, they have contributed more meaningfully in attaining higher rates of growth. A decade of opening of the economy has produced new dynamism, most dramatically in the information technology sector, but in others as well. The new technologies (especially information technology and biotechnology) give new opportunities for economic and social development. It is necessary to move swiftly to complete many of the reforms, which are now underway. Examples of such continuing reforms are the reduction in protection levels, continuing reforms in banking sector, product de-reservation for the small-scale industry, decontrol of prices, such as petroleum, reform of the power sector and so on. Among other things, sustaining higher rates of economic growth would require a more vigorous pursuit of economic reforms at both the federal and state levels. Significant reduction of fiscal deficit is the first order of business. Unless substantial fiscal consolidation is achieved, in our view, continued fiscal deficits pose India's greatest risk to future destabilization. Other critical reforms include, labor laws, exit policy, privatization of state-owned enterprises, further opening-up of the economy to trade and foreign direct investment. In addition, there is a vast amount of economic reform that can be carried out to improve conditions in rural India, especially in the Gangetic valley. The reforms implemented so far have helped India attain 6 plus percent growth, however, should India be able to implement the remaining reforms and re-orient governmental spending away from inessential expenditures towards high priority areas of health and education and infrastructure development, then it is very likely to attain and sustain even higher rates of economic growth.

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  • Nirupam Bajpai, 2002. "A Decade of Economic Reforms in India: the Unfinished Agenda," CID Working Papers 89, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:89
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anil Nair & Mehdi Sharifi Khobdeh & Aydin Oksoy & Orhun Guldiken & Chris H. Willis, 2023. "A review of strategic management research on India," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1341-1392, December.
    2. Weilin Liu, 2022. "Did Trade Liberalization Boost Total Factor Productivity Growth in Manufacturing in India in the 1990s?," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 43, pages 110-139, Fall.
    3. Mukherjee, Sacchidananda & Chakraborty, Debashis, 2016. "Do Public Policy Dynamics Stimulate Anti-Incumbency Waves? Results from Indian States," MPRA Paper 73010, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Shaomin Li & Anil Nair, 2007. "A Comparative Study of the Economic Reforms in China and India: What Can We Learn?," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 147-166.
    5. Sacchidananda Mukherjee & Debashis Chakraborty, 2017. "Can Economic Development Influence General Election Outcomes? Evidence from Consumption Expenditure Trends of Indian States," Journal of Development Policy and Practice, , vol. 2(2), pages 131-150, July.
    6. Anil Nair & Orhun Guldiken & Stav Fainshmidt & Amir Pezeshkan, 2015. "Innovation in India: A review of past research and future directions," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 925-958, December.
    7. Jaydeep Mukherjee & Debashis Chakraborty & Tanaya Sinha, 2013. "How has FDI influenced Current Account Balance In India? Time Series Results in presence of Endogenous Structural Breaks," Working Papers 1317, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

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