April 23, 2013
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
India is not doomed to be poor due to factors outside its control. Yet India is desperately, depressingly, chronically, and acutely poor. Why is that so and what is missing? I explore this question in this piece which is part … Continue reading
April 22, 2013
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
The first lesson of development economics is that economic policies matter. Even if a country has everything going for it, lack of good policies condemn it to poverty. So it is easy to believe that if only good policies were … Continue reading
June 14, 2012
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
Economic growth, development, progress—whatever you call it—is neither inevitable nor impossible. There are lots of examples of economies that continue to struggle with economic growth. And there are many examples of economies that have made rapid progress. What distinguishes the … Continue reading
December 14, 2010
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Hans Rosling is a favorite academic/activist of mine. He is delightful to watch because of his infectious enthusiasm for his subject — that the world is getting better. Here’s a brief video that presents the evidence for that proposition. (Thanks … Continue reading
June 12, 2010
by Atanu Dey
16 Comments
Since I focus a lot on the mis-governance of India by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and its hangers-on, the matters discussed here are generally depressing. It’s time to contrast that with the successes of Gujarat under Narendrabhai Modi.
February 1, 2010
by Atanu Dey
10 Comments
In the February 2010 issue of Pragati I argue why India needs new livable, sustainable and well-managed cities. The text of the article appears below, for the record.
January 20, 2010
by Atanu Dey
6 Comments
In today’s Business Standard, Pranab Bardhan in his article “India — A case of bad governance“, makes a number of very important points.
September 26, 2009
by Atanu Dey
11 Comments
Let me tell you a story. It’s a vignette of what I consider to be important although it may appear to be rather trivial. Perhaps its apparent triviality is what should astonish us. But allow me to first recount a … Continue reading
May 25, 2009
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
A short century ago the US and Argentina were rivals. Both were riding the first wave of globalisation at the turn of the 20th century. Both were young, dynamic nations with fertile farmlands and confident exporters. Both brought the beef … Continue reading
May 16, 2009
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
My colleague Rajesh Jain writes to the about-to-be-formed new government of India in today’s Wall Street Journal and says, “Get us Involved and Lets [sic] get going.” He advices the new government (but I guess it will be the same … Continue reading
May 13, 2009
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
Gurcharan Das writes in the Times of India (10th May) that “The Future Belongs to India.” That’s his argument which I suppose he made in a debate in London on the proposition that “the future belongs to India, not China.” … Continue reading
May 13, 2009
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Today’s Wall Street Journal has a report, “Megacities Threaten to Choke India,” has a catchy but misleading title. Megacities are not threatening to choke India. The megacities are choking already. What is choking India is basically primal human frailties revealed … Continue reading
April 10, 2009
by Atanu Dey
4 Comments
Development inclusive of people in rural areas is not really distinct from development in general. Indeed it is not possible to have real development while excluding the majority of the people — the majority of Indians are rural. Generally speaking, … Continue reading
April 9, 2009
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Navi Radjou’s blog post titled, “India’s Rural Innovations: Can They Scale?” in harvardbusiness.org concludes with: I strongly believe that the only way India can sustain its long-term economic growth is by unleashing and harnessing the creativity of its grassroots entrepreneurs, … Continue reading
March 31, 2009
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
Nicolai Ouroussoff writes that “We long for a bold urban vision” in his NY Times piece “Reinventing America’s Cities: The Time Is Now.” Below the fold are some selected excerpts. India too needs a bold urban vision, as I have … Continue reading
March 23, 2009
by Atanu Dey
8 Comments
Whether personal or societal, transformations generally require will and vision. In the case of personal transformation, unless one is a schizophrenic, a combination of intelligence, basic human values, determination, foresight and will is sufficient. For social transformation, something more is … Continue reading
March 16, 2009
by Atanu Dey
20 Comments
Information technology (IT) is arguably one of the more remarkable products of the advanced industrialized countries (AIC). Its development in the AICs and subsequent widespread use there indicates that IT tools are not only a consequence of economic growth and … Continue reading
March 3, 2009
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
That’s the title of the course I am conducting at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. It is a small class of about 15 students. It’s a half-credit elective in the final term of the year. We have had two … Continue reading
February 16, 2009
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea,” advised Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Does … Continue reading
January 31, 2009
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
I have been promoting that idea — that the solution to rural development lies in urban planning — for a few years. The RISC model (Rural Infrastructure & Services Commons) is about planting the seeds of in situ urbanization in … Continue reading