Publications

The Indian Civil Sphere and the Question of Caste: The Case of the Hathras Movement

August 29, 2025

Indian democracy is in trouble. A still widely popular, democratically elected leader stands athwart it, dangerously authoritarian and disrespectful of civil liberties, the independence of the courts and the press, and disputatious vis-à-vis organized counter-powers.

Politics in a theory of money: A reply to Dietsch et al

August 11, 2025

India’s premature deindustrialization and falling investment rate in the 2010s

July 30, 2025

India’s GDP growth rate faltered in the 2010s after steadily accelerating for decades since the early 1980s. The slowdown adversely affected employment growth, poverty reduction, and nutritional status. Why did it happen? As the study demonstrates, the answer is India’s premature deindustrialization and rising import dependence on China. Capital and intermediate goods industries got hollowed […]

Kerala’s Economic Rise: Does It Vindicate Neo-liberalism?

July 12, 2025

Why has net FDI inflow plummeted?

June 11, 2025

Decline in FDI relative to GDP is a matter of concern and points toward a declining interest among foreign investors

Reversing India’s Industrial Decline Need for Redesigning Policies

March 15, 2025

In the 2010s, India’s industrial output growth and fixed investment rates have declined, compared to the previous decade, with clear signs of premature deindustrialisation. Policy efforts have failed to stave off the hollowing out of manufacturing, with an unabated rise in India’s import dependence. There is a need to reconfigure industrial policy beyond tariffs and […]

India’s misguided GVC quest

December 3, 2024

Wrong notion. A rethink on joining RCEP is prompted by the false belief that FTAs will attract FDI and improve exports

Debating Citizenship and Seeking Political Solidarity in Mumbai’s Urban Margins

December 1, 2024

This article explores how the meaning of citizenship is articulated and debated in the aftermath of the legal prohibition of the slaughter of cow progeny and making the sale or possession of beef a punishable offense in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The prohibition illuminated contradictions between the cultural roots of nationalism as opposed […]

What has ‘Make in India’ achieved in the last decade : Data

October 2, 2024

Ten years later, manufacturing growth has slowed to 5.5%, its GDP share remains stagnant at 15-17%, and employment in the sector has decreased

On the pitfalls of estimating GDP

September 23, 2024

The ongoing GDP series is due for revision. The official agency is considering using GST data to estimate value addition. However, the agency should be careful to not apply unverified datasets and shaky methodologies without adequate testing and validations for GDP estimation

Why India needs deep industrialisation

February 14, 2024

If economic development and not growth were our priority, manufacturing that takes along the service sector maybe the solution to India’s problems

A political, feel-good statement

February 3, 2024

The Budget is an account of the achievements of the present regime and refuses to address shortcomings such as lack of employment, wage growth, or deficiencies in specific sectors

Caste Solidarity and Religiosity among Mumbai Dalits during the Covid Pandemic

December 10, 2023

This article explores patterns of caste solidarity and religious practices among North Indian Dalits in Mumbai during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from ethnographic data, it demonstrates how respondents experienced specific vulnerabilities due to their ethnic and caste identities. Following this, solidarities based on caste emerged to strengthen social cohesion and offer a sense of future […]

State of the economy — temper the euphoria

November 18, 2023

Official commentators should engage with critics in appreciating the gravity of economic setbacks rather than quibble over the IMF’s short-term growth projections

Pushed to the Limit: Poor, Stressful Work Conditions Mar Freight Train Drivers’ Lives

September 26, 2023

Much of the work of checking of trains before departure has been put onto the shoulders of loco pilots and guards – a technical task they are not trained to do. Slackened safety standards are among the many troubles they face.

Pushed to the Limit: The Working Lives of India’s Freight Train Drivers

September 25, 2023

Loco pilots are being pushed to the limit to cover the work on the railways – through lengthening work hours, continuous night shifts and reduced rest times. These conditions go a long way in explaining the recent spate of fatal railway accidents.

(Re)Constructing Spatial and Social Relations: Valmikis of Mumbai and Their Everyday Challenge to Caste

September 15, 2023

The chapter explores the following questions—how do migrant Dalits establish themselves in a metro city? How do they de-stigmatise their locality and self and, in the process, transform caste-based social relations? What role does a Dalit-majority locality play in challenging caste? Drawing from fieldwork conducted in a Valmiki neighbourhood in the easternmost suburb of Mumbai, […]

A Political Theory of Money

September 8, 2023

Understanding money’s nature as political, institutional, and material answers today’s big money questions. Money remains a foundational question of social theory. What is money? Why does something so insubstantial have value? How do money systems make promises function like valuable things? Why are money systems always hierarchical yet variable? The answer, the book argues, is […]

India’s Toy Industry Production and Trade since 2000

May 26, 2023

India has turned a net toy exporter lately—claimed as an evidence of the success of “Make in India” and related promotional policies. Analysing a unique, unit-level data set of formal and informal manufacturing and trade since 2000, the official claims and policy outcomes are assessed. Op-ed related to this detailed commentary are available online: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/unboxing-the-export-turnaround-in-indias-toy-story/article66912844.ece […]

Unpacking the ‘Industry 4.0’ Narrative and Its Implications

May 11, 2023

Examining the digital technology systems underlying the ongoing industrial transformations towards cyber–physical production systems, this article argues that the “industry 4.0” narrative prevents India from recognising that digital technologies are all mediated by information and communications technology hardware, software and other electronics products, along with other software-embedded devices/machinery. Getting entrapped in the big tech-driven industry […]

The truth about ‘fair competition’ and other insights from Shark Tank India about capitalism today

February 18, 2023

Ironically, a show intended to encourage entrepreneurship and affirm the belief in the entrepreneurial spirit has inadvertently put a spotlight on how capitalism really plays out in India. The success of the show has enabled viewers to understand that consumer welfare and fair competition do not play out the way they are supposed to. Over […]