---

“Unshackling India – Hard Truths and Clear Choices for Economic Revival”

Ajay Chhibber, Salman Anees Soz

‘Unshackling India – Hard Truths and Clear Choices for Economic Revival’ by Ajay Chhibber and Salman Anees Soz examines, how India use the next twenty-five years, when it will reach the hundredth year of independence, to restructure not only its economy but rejuvenate its democratic energy and unshackle its potential-to become a genuinely developed economy by 2047?

As India enters its seventy-fifth year of independence, conventional policy is unlikely to combat the breadth of its economic challenges. Across a range of areas-human capital, technology, agriculture, finance, trade, public service delivery and more-new ideas must now be on the table.

The book sets the stage for an interesting discourse on economic revival and re-engineering, changing the role of the state, developing human capital, unleashing competitiveness and being future ready through some key ideas that it proposes:

• Reducing the scope and reach of the state and strengthening its capability
• Greater focus on learning, skilling, and health outcomes – including nutrition
• Ending women’s exploitation: economic, political, legal and gender violence
• Re-engineering the economy for more inclusive growth
• Pursuing next generation reforms for realising demographic dividend
• Preparing to leave behind a better country for our children
• Reshaping India’s economic and social trajectory

---

Ajay Chhibber is Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Institute of International Economic Policy, George Washington University, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He was Distinguished Visiting Professor at the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy and India’s first Director General of Independent Evaluation with the status of Minister of State in 2013-14. From 2008-2013 he was UN Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator at UNDP. He served as the World Bank’s Country Director in Turkey and Vietnam and led the 1997 World Development Report on the role of the state. He has published five books on economic development and many articles in international journals and in major newspapers. He has a PhD from Stanford University, a master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics, and has done advanced management programs at Harvard University and at INSEAD, France. He has also taught economics at Georgetown University and the University of Delhi. He won the David Rajaram Prize as best all-rounder at St. Stephens College, New Delhi.

Salman Anees Soz is an economic development consultant, author and commentator. He has extensive experience across a range of economic development issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He serves as a consultant to multiple World Bank teams and was previously a consultant at the Asian Development Bank. He is a recipient of the World Bank President’s Award for Excellence. His commentaries appear in a avriety of media outlets. He also speaks on politics, economics and international affairs at universities, think tanks and conferences. He is Deputy Chairman of the All India Professionals’ Congress and serves as an advisor to other institutions. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Yale University, a master’s degree in economics from Northeastern University, and a BA (Hons.) in economics from St. Stephen’s College, where he was the president of the Students’ Union Society.

---

---

---