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Isher Judge Ahluwalia IDRC Photos: tecklesphoto.com

Listen to a clip from Ahluwalia’s talk

Listen to Ahluwalia’s entire lecture

“The distinguishing feature of India’s growth story is that India has followed a gradualist path. We do not believe in a big bang,” says Isher Judge Ahluwalia, chairperson of the Board of Governors of the highly regarded Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations.

During a public presentation at IDRC on March 18, 2009, Ahluwalia reflected on the causes and outcomes of India’s transformation from a mixed economy to one that embraces free market principles.

According to Ahluwalia, India’s economic growth was “organic” and a result of its vibrant democratic processes, active civil society, and innovative private sector. 

She also discussed prospects for India’s economy in light of the current global recession – from challenges such as continued agricultural innovation, to positive signs, such as a healthy growth in industrial production.

Ahluwalia stressed, however, that India’s growth must benefit all Indians.

“We have to choose the sustainable growth path so that we can really have inclusive and participatory growth … We have to harness [democracy] in order to generate the kind of development and growth which ultimately delivers better living standards for our people.”

Ahluwalia, an influential scholar, researcher, policy analyst, and writer, has been a long-term advisor to successive Indian governments on policy issues.  Her research has focused on industrial development, macroeconomic reforms, and issues in social sector development in India. 

In 2009, the President of India awarded Ahluwalia one of India’s highest civilian decorations, the Padma Bhushan, for her services in education and literature.

The event was the sixth instalment in IDRC’s year-long series The India Lectures, which marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of IDRC’s South Asia regional office in New Delhi. As part of the series, IDRC has also hosted journalist M.J. Akbar, leading political analyst Pratap Mehta, eminent political scientist Rajeev Bhargava, and distinguished sinologist Alka Acharya.

IDRC has supported research for development in India since its founding, nearly 40 years ago.

The opinions expressed here reflect those of the speaker alone, and not necessarily those of the International Development Research Centre.

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