Is India’s economic growth model better than China’s?

India and China are global economic powers but with different growth trajectories and completely

different styles of governance. While the comparison between the Asian neighbours is inevitable,

how does the future of these two large economies stack up?

As ancient Asian civilizations having river valley origins and global economic giants of the medieval

period, India and China share many characteristics. There is, however, much that is different, which

will define the future of the two nations. This book examines the policies, institutions, markets,

infrastructure, public finance and political economies of the two countries and their enabling

environments for economic growth. It also examines potential or little understood dangers of

disproportionate growth in the context of the environment, population, and future economic and

social stability. These alone, however, are not sufficient to tell the complete story or suggest a tealeaf

reading of their possible futures.

The book, therefore, also offers a synoptic look at history, culture, beliefs, society, law, some aspects

of ethnography and anthropology, their respective constructs of modern nation-states, and the

role these may have played in the past or may play in the future, to better understand the future

trajectories of India and China.