Wonked!: India in Search of an Economic Ideology

More than two decades since India was forced to liberalize its economy, the country has undergone radical transformation – from a planned, centralized economy, to one that seeks to harness market forces and technological change.

Today, India is at a crossroads – even as political discourse has undergone churn, there is a distinct lack of conceptual clarity and well-defined economic policymaking. As a result, there is little that separates the economic and foreign policies of successive governments, despite divergent political ideologies, which has been the hallmark of Indian policymaking.

In Wonked!, economist Vivan Sharan breaks down the challenges facing the Indian economy today, while developing a framework through which broad policy strategies can be laid down based on principles acceptable to multiple stakeholders. How should the Indian digital economy be regulated in the days to come? How does one realize greater value from Indian agriculture? Why is there a shortage of electricity despite India being a power-surplus country? And what is the foreign policy outlook India must have in a world where economics and politics are coupled?

Breaking down complex policymaking issues for a general reader, Wonked! asserts the need for India to have an economic ideology that will strengthen its institutions while thinking about the needs of its citizens in the years to come. Deeply researched, cogent and bridging the divide between conflicting ideologies, this book calls upon policymakers, private sector players and the political establishment to develop a wider consensus on the paths India must pursue in the years to come.