India’s economic policy reforms: a review

India embarked on economic reforms in July 1991, in the wake of a balance of payments crisis. In this article, an attempt is made to review two books and a set of World Bank reports concerning the progress of these reforms. Issues concerning economic policy, impact of the reforms on poverty, sectoral issues relating to agriculture, industry and infrastructure are briefly discussed. As reforms enter a more difficult phase, several challenges remain. Some of these fall under the “economic agenda” of measures needed to maintain economic growth; others can be termed the “development agenda” – of improving human development. Progress with regard to the former is not sufficient to produce results concerning the latter.