Ashoka Mody: Is India Broken? An Overlooked History of Dysfunction and Corruption

In this episode, we are joined by Ashoka Mody, the Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in International Economy and Lecturer in Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. We discuss his latest book, India is Broken, and dive into some of the larger questions surrounding Indian economic development. Why has India’s development stalled in comparison to other Asian economies? What do the headline GDP growth numbers and international press coverage miss in their optimisim towards India? How can India address its ills including rampant political corruption and inadequate education?

 These are all questions that Mody answers through an examination of India through multiple lenses: economic, social, historical, and cultural. We join him on this journey and follow up on his arguments as constructed in India is Broken, while also taking them to new places, like the issue of climate change in the policies of Indian economic development. Join us for a conversation that takes a more skeptical view towards the optimism surrounding a “rising” India.

Ashoka Mody