The dominant public discourse on India’s economy today is largely focused on economic growth, emphasising its growing size in a global comparison. Economic growth is progress measured in terms of goods, which is an important metric. However, a holistic approach would also enquire about the improvement made to the lives of India’s people. An evidence-based account of where India stands today in relation to the rest of the world is presented and the direction in which public policy should evolve proposed.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Professor Pulapre Balakrishnan is an applied macroeconomist. His published research spans inflation, productivity and economic growth in India. In 1994 with Kesavan Pushpangadan he presented the first estimates of productivity growth for Indian manufacturing using 'double inflation', the international standard for national-income accounting recommended by the United Nations. The article challenged the state of knowledge on the subject and led to a debate among economists. It came to fruition when the methodology it had advanced was incorporated in the new GDP series released by the Government of India in February 2026.
Balakrishnan is the recipient of the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award for Distinguished Contribution to Development Studies 2014. Besides his academic work, he has for over three and a half decades participated in the public discourse on India’s economy through his writing. His publications and professional engagements are listed on www.pulaprebalakrishnan.in.
