Introduction to SBR India Research Kunal Sen

Variations in Regional Growth in India

Two Overarching Questions To what extent can differences in regional institutional quality as captured by state business relations explain differences in state level growth and industrial performance? What explains the evolution of differing SBRs across Indian states, and how has this been shaped by historical factors and state-specific political processes?

Three Components Measuring SBR for Sixteen Major Indian States (Cali, Mitra and Purohit) Examining the effects of SBRs on economic performance for the major Indian states at three different levels of analysis – state (macro), industry (meso) and firm (micro) – Cali/Sen and Kathuria/Natarajan/Sen Explaining the evolution of SBRs and its effects for 3 Indian States – Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal. These three states have seen very different outcomes with respect to industrialisation, and our initial hypothesis is that this is related to SBRs. AP – Alivelu/Reddy/Srinivasulu and WB-Bose/Chakravarty. Orissa paper not ready yet.

Methodologies Component 1 – Primary surveys of Business Associations and secondary data collection and analysis. Component 2 – Econometric (panel data/ microeconometrics). Component 3 – Case-study approach / analytical narrative: Historical institutionalist approach combined with primary surveys of firms and secondary data analysis.

The inter-relationships Measuring SBRs for 16 States Understanding the Evolution of SBRs and its effects – AP, Orissa, WB Quantifying the effects of SBRs on economic performance– at the macro, meso and micro levels