An alternative Indian model?

This paper utilizes the dualistic model of development to analyze the development of three regions: Northeast Asia, China, and India. There are many similarities between the development processes experienced by the first two regions. They involved rapid agricultural growth as a foundation for the growth of labor-intensive manufacturing. However, India's growth process seems to have skipped over the stage of labor-intensive manufacturing growth. Switching to a more labor-intensive growth process is often seen to be dependent on reform of India's labor laws. This paper argues that such reform will not work. The labor intensity of the growth process is dependent on rapid growth in agriculture. Without this, structural change will slow and inequality worsen. The latter will likely result in a deterioration of state effectiveness.