India Briefing: Takeoff at Last? Book

Ayres (Center for the Advanced Study of India, U. of Pennsylvania) and Oldenburg (Southern Asian Institute, Columbia U.) quote economic historian W.W. Rostow to the effect that "takeoff" is "the interval when the old blocks and resistances to steady growth are finally overcome [and the] forces making for economic progress expand and come to dominate the society." The eight contributions to this new edition of the Briefing don't settle the issue of whether India has achieved this state, but the editors clearly believe that it is certainly closer than ever before. The essays they present provide overviews of economic and political aspects of India's current moment, discussing the fall of the Bharatiya Janata Party from national power, India's international relations, the cultural background of Hindutva as a religious and political force, general macroeconomic realities, the labor market and inequalities in wealth, and the film industry. Also included is a guide to online resources on Indian politics and economics and chronology of events since the publication of the last edition of the Briefing three years before. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR