Unit 2
Unit 2
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Overall Trends
2.3 Structural Change in the Economy
2.3.1 Composition of Gross Domestic Product
2.3.2 Sectoral Share of Employment
2.3.3 Share of Organised and Unorganised Sector in Output and Employment
2.3.4 Share of Rural and Urban sectors in Output and Employment
2.3.5 Share of Consumption, Government Spending, Investment and Net Exports in
GDP
2.3.6 Share of the Public and the Private Sector in GDP
2.4 The Rise of Tertiary Sector: Composition, Causes and Prospects
2.4.1 Composition of the Service Sector
2.4.2 Causes of Rapid Increase in Tertiary Sector
2.4.3 Prospects and Opportunities
2.4.4 Limitations
2.4.5 Need for an Integrated Policy
2.5 Medium and Long-Term Growth Prospects of the Economy
2.5.1 Major Policy Initiatives in the Recent Decades
2.5.1.1 Containing Inflation and Soaring Fiscal Deficits
2.5.1.2 Beneficiary Focus and Targeted Delivery
2.5.1.3 Infrastructure
2.5.1.4 Federalism
2.5.1.5 Corporate Exits
2.5.1.6 Demonetisation
2.5.1.7 Goods and Services Tax (GST)
2.5.2 The Challenges that Remain
2.5.2.1 Non-farm Employment Opportunities
2.5.2.2 Demographic Transition and Dividend
2.5.2.3 Urbanisation
2.5.2.4 Poverty and Inequality
2.5.2.5 Environment and Climate Change
2.5.2.6 Infrastructure
2.6 Let Us Sum Up
2.7 Term- end Exercises
2.8 Key Words
2.9 References
2.10 Answers or Hints to Check Your Progress Exercises
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Indian Economic Development:
An Overview 2.0 OBJECTIVES
As you go through this unit, you will be able to:
• identify the growth path of the Indian economy since 1951;
• differentiate the stages of growth through which the Indian economy has
evolved;
• recognise the factors that contributed to rapid growth in different stages;
• become familiar with the structural change that the Indian economy has
gone through post-independence; and
• understand the medium to long-term prospects of India’s economic growth.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Different sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, industry or services employ
natural, human, and material resources and contribute to the aggregate flow of
goods and services during a given time period which may normally be specified
as a year. This aggregate flow of final (as distinct from intermediate) goods and
services constitutes the national product of the economy. Alternately, if the
economic activity comprising the aggregate flow of goods and services is
measured in terms of the income earned by all the different factors of production
(land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship) employed in the production process
during the year it is termed as national income. The national income, it may be
recalled, can also be measured as the aggregate expenditure in the economy in
terms of private consumption, government spending, investment and the spending
on net exports. The production, income and expenditure methods are three
methods of estimating Gross Domestic Product and other national account
aggregates. The rate of growth of the national income when compared with the
rate of growth of population indicates whether the economy is declining, stagnant
or growing. It is only when the national income grows at a rate faster than the
rate of growth of population that the per capita income shows a rising trend; the
people are able to improve their living standards and the economy is able to add
to its stock of capital, which along with technology and labour supports economic
growth. However, economic growth does not necessarily improve every citizen’s
living standards, something captured by a much broader and complex issue of
development. While the country has been performing well in terms of growth, it
seems to be lacking behind in terms of development.
The Central Statistical Office (CSO) has been producing annual official estimates
of national income and other national accounts aggregates of India since 1955
and publishing it annually in National Accounts Statistics (NAS). It is with the
help of this data that we shall study the trend in India’s national income over the
last seven decades.
1
.Prof. Raj Krishna had believed that the economy was caught in the “low level equilibrium trap
of slow growth” of 3.5 per cent annual growth rate. This came to be known as ‘Hindu Rate of
Growth’. 33
Indian Economic Development: that capacity addition comes in spurts, exceeding immediate requirements but
An Overview
anticipating a subsequent catch-up in demand. Investment spending, consequently,
goes up sharply at the beginning of a cycle and declines just as abruptly once the
desired capacity has been created. The investment cycle was on upswing. Three,
exports of both goods and services were the third engine of growth. India’s
merchandise exports got getting diversified geographically and, therefore, were
not very vulnerable to localised business cycles. All these three engines gained
an additional boost by what appears to be a sustained, across-the-board increase
in productivity.
But this phase also shared one major weakness with the previous phase: labour-
intensive manufacturing remained sluggish. The end to licensing and to the small-
scale industries reservation in most labour-intensive products did not have the
intended outcomes in this sector. The reasons for this are well-known (labour
market rigidities facing large-scale producers, infrastructure bottlenecks and
bureaucratic red tape). Unfortunately, without rapid expansion of the unskilled-
labour-intensive industry, progress towards poverty reduction and transition to a
modern economy will remain far slower than is feasible.
India’s GDP growth moderated to 5 per cent in 2019-20 as compared to 6.8 per
cent in 2018-19, amidst a weak environment for global manufacturing, trade and
demand. The economic state of the Indian economy from 2019 onwards may be
identified as ‘pause phase’. During the pause phase the clouds over India’s
economic performance and prospects are getting bigger and darker. First, India’s
economic growth has slowed, aggregate investment has slackened and it could
get worse. Second, inflation needs to be monitored. Third, the country’s external
imbalances are growing at a time when capital flows are becoming more volatile.
Fourth, with investment momentum remaining significantly below its trend, the
persistent weakness in consumption is a concern. Consumption has typically
provided a steady and elevated floor for India’s growth. Fifth, the sub-segment
of “trade, hotels, transport and communications,” which is typically an important
source of resilience for the services sector, is slowing consistently. Sixth, growth
in agriculture may take some hit. Seventh, the fiscal-monetary mix is completely
out of work and there is hardly any flexibility on the fiscal front. More importantly,
some fiscal responsibility will warrant spending cuts and revenue enhancement
in order to shrink the fiscal deficit. Likewise, the RBI is expected to anchor
expectations without offering one-or two-year forward guidance. Finally,
the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the Indian economy has been largely
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Indian Economic Development: disruptive in terms of economic activity as well as a loss of human lives. Almost
An Overview
all the sectors have been adversely affected as domestic demand and exports
sharply plummeted with some notable exceptions where high growth was
observed. Tourism, Hospitality and Aviation were among the worst affected
sectors. Consumption also got impacted due to job losses and decline in income
levels of people particularly the daily wage earners. Greater uncertainty about
the future course and repercussion of Covid-19 also made the financial market
extremely volatile. There is likelihood that the three major components of
aggregate demand — consumption, investment, and exports are likely to stay
subdued for a prolonged period of time. On the supply side, shutdown of factories
and the resulting delay in supply of goods from China affected many Indian
manufacturing sectors. Some sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals,
electronics, chemical products etc. faced an imminent raw material and component
shortage.
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Growth and Structure of
2.3 STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THE ECONOMY Indian Economy
Table 2.1: Sectoral Distribution of India’s GDP at Factor Cost (2011-12 prices) (%)
Sector 1960-61 1990-91 2000-01 2010-11
Primary 51.0 33.0 25.0 17.0
Secondary 18.0 24.0 24.0 24.5
Tertiary (Service) 31.0 43.0 51.0 58.5
Source: Economic Survery (Various issues)
Services sector is the largest sector of India. Gross Value Added (GVA) at current
prices for Services sector is estimated at Rs. 92.26 lakh crore (54.40 per cent of
total India’s GVA) in 2018-19. With GVA of Rs. 50.43 lakh crore, Industry sector
contributes 29.73 per cent, while, agriculture and allied sector shares 15.87 per
cent.
This pattern of structural change in Indian economy has deviated from the
development pattern of Western and South East Asian economies. Those
economies experienced first a shift from primary to secondary sector and only in
their advanced stage did they experience a significant shift in favour of tertiary
sector. This pattern of development enabled them to transfer growing labour 37
Indian Economic Development: force from primary to secondary sector. In India this has not been possible because
An Overview secondary sector has not expanded fast enough to absorb growing labour force.
Although the manufacturing sector has grown at a fast pace the section’s
contribution less as compared to countries. The unskilled and uneducated rural
masses have continued to struggle in the primary sector and those who have
been forced out by economic, social and political factors have joined the urban
slum sector. Moreover, the sharp increase in the share of tertiary sector in GDP
in India has occurred at a much lower level of per capita income than that in the
developed countries when they experienced a similar expansion. This pattern of
growth underlines the link between the growing poverty and unemployment and
the inadequate growth of manufacturing and building activity in the country.
This failure in turn could be attributed to absence of structural attributes like a
basic literacy in the workforce upon which further skills can be imparted, physical
infrastructure (i.e., power, roads, railways and access to ports), access to financial
capital and, crucially, policies that encourage allocation of resources through
export-oriented manufacturing.
India has also become more integrated into the global economy, with its trade
ratio– the ratio of exports and imports to GDP– adding up to about 40 per cent of
GDP in 2017, five times the ratio of 7.6 per cent in 1971, yet lower than the peak
ratio of 57 per cent in 2014. Exports as a per cent of GDP tripled from 7.3 per
cent in 1991 to 22 per cent in 2007, and were 25.5 per cent of GDP in 2014. The
contribution of net exports to growth has been muted, with import growth
exceeding export growth in a majority of years.
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Check Your Progress 2 Growth and Structure of
Indian Economy
1) Discuss the significant factors highlighting the structural change in the Indian
Economy.
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2) Consumption spending as a component of national income has been
contributing majorly to the economic growth in India. Do you agree?
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3) Discuss the reasons behind growing contribution of the Rural Economy in
India.
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ii) A large part of the service sector consists of infrastructure such as banking,
insurance, finance, transport and communication and social and community
services such as educational and medical facilities. An urgent requirement
of development is the proper expansion of infrastructure to cater to the needs
of other sectors of the economy and the expansion of the social and
community services for the well-being of the people.
iii) Public services grow more rapidly where national Governments have
significant role in planning and production in the economy as a whole. In
fact, the ‘visible hands’ of the modern governments as reflected in the
government policies and in the expansion patterns of the national and
international authorities during the last few decades are directed towards
the creation of fast economic and social infrastructures.
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viii) Another factor, albeit very important, has been the favourable international Growth and Structure of
Indian Economy
environment. The changing liberalised environment opened up immense
possibilities for the exports of India’s service sector. An important
contribution has been made by the IT sector, as also entertainment industry,
etc. India and the ASEAN, the 10-member regional grouping, moved closer
to completing a bilateral trade pact, but finalising a free-trade agreement
(FTA) on services and investment. The pact will enable free movement of
professionals from here such as doctors, engineers, architects and
management consultants across the ASEAN markets.
In addition to the above factors, an increase in the share of the non-commodity
sector in the GDP can also be attributed to slow growth in the commodity
producing sector. While a part of this is explained by difficulties inherent in
bringing about a fast rate of growth in the primary sector, a part is undoubtedly
due to the failure of the secondary sector and its major component, which is
manufacturing and construction, to grow at the much faster rate that was necessary
to give the commodity sector a comparable status with the non-commodity sector
in the growth rate.
iii) Unlike most other prices, world prices of transport and communication
services have fallen dramatically. The cost of communication is becoming
independent of distance. India’s geographical distance from several important
industrial markets is no longer an important element in the cost-structure of
skill-based activities.
iv) India does not necessarily have to be a low-cost producer of certain types of
goods (e.g., computers or discs) before it can become an efficient supplier
of services embodied in them (e.g., software or music). It is possible now to
provide value added services without waiting to ‘catch up’ in technology
for production of sophisticated equipment or products.
vi) The aging of population in the developed world implies that the demand for
services will continue to grow.
2.4.4 Limitations
However, the service sector, as at present, suffers from low productivity and
quality in spite of fairly large investment in technology. The sector faces multiple
challenges for sustained growth over the years. A number of services where India
enjoys comparative advantages experience lack of clear policy thrust. A number
of services in India are either predominantly associated with the Government or
are not liberalised enough to ensure growth through organised private initiatives.
Services like professional, legal, postal, accountancy and insurance need further
liberalisation to harness their potential. Unless sustained efforts are put in to
improve these, with the increasing importance of the services in wake of structural
adjustment and liberalisation in the economy we may get into two alternate
scenarios.
a) Economic and social position of workers in the service sector will steadily
go down– since real incomes cannot be higher than productivity for any
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extended length of time. This means economic stagnation and consequent Growth and Structure of
Indian Economy
social tensions; or
b) The workers in this sector will use their numerical strength to get wages
higher than their economic contribution justified. This will impoverish
others– reducing everyone’s income and increasing unemployment.
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Indian Economic Development: Check Your Progress 3
An Overview
1) Discuss in brief the causes of the rapid increase in tertiary sector in India.
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2) Discuss in brief the limitations from which the service sector suffers in India.
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3) Outline the need for an integrated service sector policy in India.
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Discipline was also imposed on the Gross Fiscal Deficit (GFD). The Fiscal
Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act of 2003, which got a new
lease of life since 2016, determines the glide path for the ratio of GFD to GDP to
reach an eventual target of 3 per cent. The ratio declined from 4.5 per cent in
2013-14 to 3.4 per cent in 2018-19. Other macro-stability indicators have similarly
improved.
Another pathway for the trickle-down is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY), a financial inclusion initiative. The linking of mobile numbers with
bank account numbers and subsequently Aadhaar, created a JAM (Jan Dhan,
Aadhaar, Mobile) trinity that further secured Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) to
the intended beneficiaries.
2.5.1.3 Infrastructure
2.5.1.4 Federalism
When the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was introduced in 2016, it
consolidated the insolvency resolution process into a single law by repealing/
amending multiple rules and processes earlier in operation. IBC set a time limit
for closing of insolvency and bankruptcy cases within which assets of a defaulting
borrower are auctioned to pay off the debt owed to lending institutions. Following
the operationalisation of IBC since 2017, a significant number of non-performing
assets have been brought under its ambit. In addition to the large sums recovered
by creditors from resolution or liquidation, the introduction of a framework for
exit has improved the overall business culture of the country.
2.5.1.5 Demonetisation
The government of India took a bold step to demonetise Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000
currency with effect from 8 November 2016 midnight. It was a major decision
which had its impact on all sections of the society. It was aimed to reduce funds
to terrorism, decrease the corruption rate, eliminate counterfeit notes, and open
gates for a cashless economy. Through the demonetisation exercise, the
government has been pressing hard to become a cashless economy and is
encouraging more and more people to adopt the digital payments system for
their transactions.
Implemented on July 1, 2017, the Goods and Services Tax (GST)is regarded as
the biggest and substantial indirect tax reform since independence. GST has
replaced a number of Central and State taxes, made India more of a national
integrated market, and brought more producers into the tax net. It has subsumed
all sorts of indirect taxes like Central Excise Tax, VAT/Sales Tax, Service tax,
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etc. and implement one taxation system in India. The main aim of GST is to Growth and Structure of
Indian Economy
create a single, unified market which will benefit in the development of country’s
economy. GST taxes only the final consumer. Hence the cascading of taxes (tax-
on-tax) is avoided and production costs are cut down. The system is expected to
improvise tax collections and boost up India’s economic development and break
all tax barriers between Central and State Governments.
Aided by all these features, the Indian economy rebounded back on high growth
trajectory. While rest of the world was cooling off with growth rates slowing
down, the Indian economy recorded highest-ever growth rates during the period
2014-19, clocking an average of about 7.5 per cent per annum. It is widely-
accepted that India cannot meaningfully regain its economic momentum unless
corporate investments are brought on track. The sort of demand stimulus that the
government has preferred despite supply constraints will only add to inflationary
pressures. Public investment cannot play a major role in the recovery unless
there is a significant shift of public spending away from subsidies and towards
asset creation. A private investment revival is thus the magic key. Unwinding the
current policy tangle is key to reviving animal spirits.
2.5.2.3 Urbanisation
India is both a major greenhouse gas emitter and one of the most vulnerable
countries in the world to projected climate change. The country is already
experiencing changes in climate and the impacts of climate change, including
water stress, heat waves and drought, severe storms and flooding, and associated
negative consequences on health and livelihoods. With a 1.3 billion but growing
population and dependence on agriculture, India probably will be severely
impacted by continuing climate change. This calls for innovations, new
technologies, and new approaches to economic development.
2.5.2.6 Infrastructure
India’s ambition of sustaining its relatively high growth depends on one important
factor: infrastructure. The country, however, is plagued with weak infrastructure
incapable of meeting the needs of a growing economy and growing population.
The corporate growth and investments can also be hampered if the government
fails to close the infrastructure deficit, which some experts estimate costs 4-5 per
cent of GDP due to inefficiencies. Also in order to fulfil Sustainable Development
Goal number 9, India needs to develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient
infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure to support
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economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and Growth and Structure of
Indian Economy
equitable access for all.
2.9 REFERENCES
1) Ishwar C. (2019) Dhingra, Indian Economy in the Twenty-First Century,
Manakin Press, New Delhi.
2) The World Bank, (March 2018). India Development Update: India’s Growth
Story. Retrieved from http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/
814101517840592525/pdf/India-development-update-Indias-growth-
story.pdf
3) Patnaik I and Pandey R. (2019). Savings and capital formation in India.
Retrieved from https://macrofinance.nipfp.org.in/PDF/PatnaikPandey-
savings_and_capital_formation_in_India.pdf
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4) Kumar P. (May 2020). The Economic Impact of COVID 19 with special Growth and Structure of
Indian Economy
reference to India. Retrieved from http://164.100.47.193/Refinput/
New_Reference_Notes/English/06072020_125312_1021205239.pdf
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