How Nehru Shaped and Narasimha Rao Transformed the Economy | Ep 17 | Arvind Panagariya
Description
In this episode of Growth is Good, Arvind Panagariya returns to unpack his latest book, The Nehru Development Model—a sweeping intellectual and historical account of how India embraced socialism post-independence and why it stayed stuck there for decades.We dive deep into how Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of industrialization, planning, and self-sufficiency created a sprawling license-permit Raj, why Indian intellectuals, bureaucrats, and businesses bought into the model, and how Narasimha Rao (not just 1991) ultimately broke the mould.What we cover:How Nehru built his unique brand of socialismThe heavy-industry obsession and its lasting costsWhy reforms failed under Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, and Rajiv GandhiHow Narasimha Rao became India’s Deng XiaopingWhy the legacy of the “Nehru Model” still lingers in bureaucracy, business, and the academyThis is a must-watch for anyone curious about India’s economic journey—why it stalled for decades, how it finally turned a corner, and what it takes to keep reform momentum alive.
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📘 Grab The Nehru Development Model by Arvind Panagariya for the full story.
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