Introduction: Inclusiveness in India — A Challenging Strategy for Growth and Equality

As the second largest consumer market in the world, the Indian economy has been enjoying high economic growth in recent years. Consequently, its role in the world, both economically and politically, has been expanding. It is, however, commonly pointed out that social and economic disparities across, for example, geographical, socio-economic, ethnic and gender lines have widened during this period. Inclusive growth, broadly defined as rapid growth benefiting every section of society, has been the main strategy pursued by the present Union Government of India. Unfortunately, the existing literature on inclusive growth is overwhelmingly concentrated on the trend and extent of inequality, particularly the economic aspects of regional inequality. This volume goes far beyond the conventional analysis of economic inequality and intends to critically examine inclusive growth in a wide range of social, economic and geographical areas.