ModiNomics: Inclusive Economics Inclusive Governance

Book excerpt: The last decade of Gujarat and the rise of Narendra Modi first as the Chief Minister and then as a national leader being the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has catapulted the Gujarat model and Narendra Modi into the national and international limelight. In the interim, especially in the last few years, there has been much literature on Gujarat and Narendra Modi. However, much of it is presented from a personality or political perspective. In the run-up to the national elections around May 2014, public interest goes beyond politics and personality. There is interest on some of the pioneering work done in Gujarat around governance and Panchayati Raj. The nation wants to know how Narendra Modi and his team of bureaucrats have been able to make a difference. There is curiosity about the interplay between politics, economy and policy. Crucially, the world wants to know if the Gujarat model is scalable to the national level. However, today’s literature on Gujarat and Modi fails to cover his economics and governance vision. In the hurly-burly of politics, the innovations, the unique models and policies that Gujarat has seen over the last decade seem to be getting overlooked. This book presents the vision behind Modi’s thought process, and the action on the ground in terms of actual field reports and case studies. The book seeks to highlight the economic and development strategies adopted by Modi. The learnings from these would stand other states in good stead. Under Modi, Gujarat stands out for its long-term vision and impeccable execution. Governance is clearly not just about lofty speeches and promises but actual delivery; as is economics. One of the key ideas that the book brings out is that Modi is a proponent of both Inclusive Economics as well as Inclusive Governance. This in a sense is the essence of ModiNomics, a new phenomenon, which is discussed in the book. Sameer Kochhar has been interacting with Gujarat and Gujarat Government officials since 2003. For much of the last decade, the annual Skoch Summits organised by Kochhar have featured case studies on Gujarat’s governance. Books, articles and reports have been done. Field assessments have been carried out. He has captured the voices of the common man. He has also interacted with Modi to know his mind on Gujarat and the nation first hand. This book is an outcome of all the above and tells the Gujarat story in all its riveting details focusing on how Modi has brought about a sea change through his unique brand of ModiNomics.