Thiagu Ranganathan – författare

This book examines Kerala's recent development trajectory and highlights the impact of COVID-19 on its economy. It analyzes Kerala's growth and structural transformation while engaging critically with issues related to employment and migration. The book delves into policies aimed at reintegrating return migrants into Kerala’s development process. It examines the implications of Free Trade Agreements and policies initiated by the Government of India under the WTO regime on agriculture. The chapters in the book also investigate the impact of the growth trajectories on distributional aspects of inequality and social mobility.Timely and topical, the book will be an indispensable resource for students and researchers of economics, development studies, trade, labour and migration, political economy, Kerala economy, and South Asian studies.

Vidarbha - a major cotton growing region in central India has been the epicentre of a protracted agrarian crisis. Chronic indebtedness and farmers' suicides continue unabated despite decades of state intervention. Going beyond the contemporary discourse that finds fault in neoliberal policies and integration with global markets, this fascinating book tells the story of how nineteenth century 'accidents' particularly in the form of colonial policies and the American Civil War ushered in institutional transformations that shaped the region's cotton economy. By drawing insights from their longitudinal study in villages of the region spanning 12 years, Gaurav and Ranganathan present the 'gambles' that farmers are part of. The novelty of combining a long view of history and evidence based on primary field research results in a book that underscores the importance of investigating roots of agrarian crisis and paying attention to adjustments of farm households, at a crucial juncture in India's economic transformation.