19 & 20th March 2026

Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram

Call for papers

India’s economy is undergoing a period of deep transition. Global political and economic shifts—ranging from slowing multilateralism and rising protectionism to realignments in global value chains—are challenging established patterns of growth and trade. At the same time, domestic transformations—shaped by the adoption of new technologies, evolving labour markets, demographic shifts and migration, regulatory and institutional reforms, energy and climate pressures, and changes in public finance—are reshaping the foundations of economic activity within the country.

These developments are unfolding alongside longer-term structural challenges: the quest to generate quality employment at scale, the need to invigorate productivity in agriculture, industry and services, and the imperative to build robust institutions capable of supporting a rapidly changing economy. India must also deepen its integration into global value chains, attract higher and more diversified FDI, and address unexploited export potential—particularly in goods—if it is to strengthen its global competitiveness. State-level differences in economic structures, governance capabilities and reform momentum, together with the growing importance of local institutions, will play a crucial role in shaping how these opportunities are realized. At the same time, persistently low female labour force participation, the evolving care economy, and gendered labour market dynamics represent significant untapped economic potential. India’s demographic profile, expanding markets, urbanization and spatial reorganization, digital infrastructure, and growing scientific, innovation and technological capabilities offer new avenues for progress—but they also require careful analysis and informed policy choices.

In this wider context, the drivers of India’s economic engagement and domestic transformation are themselves evolving. The reconfiguration of global value chains, the search for supply-chain resilience, and shifts in technology and energy systems are reshaping how India participates in the global economy and how domestic sectors compete. With multilateral mechanisms weakening, bilateral and regional arrangements are becoming increasingly important avenues for international engagement, while domestic reforms in regulation, logistics, investment facilitation and skill development are emerging as central to strengthening India’s productive base. At the same time, the digital and green transitions, the growing importance of state- and local-level governance, changing migration patterns, emerging risks in finance and climate, and challenges related to gender, care work and household-level labour allocation highlight the need for renewed analytical attention to how India manages complexity across multiple layers of its economy.

The purpose of this conference is to bring together rigorous scholarship that can inform policy thinking on these emerging challenges and opportunities. We welcome contributions that examine contemporary developments, identify medium-term shifts, or offer fresh conceptual and empirical insights into India’s evolving growth landscape.

Brochure

Illustrative Themes

Submissions may address (but are not limited to) the following areas:

  1. Growth, Investment and Structural Transformation
  • Drivers of domestic investment, capital formation and productivity
  • Structural change across agriculture, industry and services
  • Industrial policy, export competitiveness and deeper integration into global value chains
  • FDI, supply-chain resilience, regulatory reforms, and state-level growth strategies
  1. Work, Skills, Gender and Labour Market Dynamics
  • Employment generation, workforce participation and sectoral labour demand
  • Women’s work, barriers to female labour force participation and the evolving care economy
  • Technology-driven shifts: platforms, automation, AI and changing work arrangements
  • Labour regulation, mobility, migration flows and local labour market institutions
  • Skills, reskilling and capability-building for a transforming economy
  1. Technology, Digitalisation and Innovation Systems
  • Digital public infrastructure and technology-enabled governance
  • AI, automation and digital adoption in production, logistics and services
  • Fintech, data ecosystems, platform competition and cybersecurity
  • Innovation systems, R&D, and the diffusion of frontier technologies across states
  1. Trade, External Sector and India’s Global Positioning
  • Evolving trade policy, non-tariff measures and weakening multilateralism
  • Bilateral and regional arrangements and new modes of engagement
  • Export potential—particularly in goods manufacturing—and competitiveness
  • Capital flows, FDI linkages, external vulnerabilities and macro-financial stability
  1. Energy, Climate and Spatial Transitions
  • Energy diversification strategies, renewables and green industrial pathways
  • Climate adaptation in agriculture, infrastructure and urban systems
  • Urbanisation, spatial reorganisation, mobility systems and infrastructure financing
  • Time-use, care infrastructure and the gendered implications of spatial transitions
  • Local governance, decentralisation and state capacity in managing transitions
  1. Public Finance, Federal Dynamics and Economic Governance
  • Tax assignments, intergovernmental transfers and fiscal sustainability
  • Public expenditure priorities in infrastructure, human capital and climate adaptation
  • Fiscal and administrative reforms for effective state- and local-level governance
  • Social and care infrastructure, public provisioning, and frontline service delivery
  • The evolving role of state capacity in managing complex economic transitions

We invite extended abstracts (max length 1500 words) of papers that include research questions, methodology and expected results initially, on or before 11 January 2026. One author of each selected abstract will be invited to present their work in the conference to be held on 19th and 20th of March 2026. Paper presenters will be eligible for AC 3-tier train fare reimbursement, subject to submission of valid travel documents. Boarding and Lodging will also be provided to outstation participants covering the duration of the conference. Presenters will then be expected to submit full, original, and unpublished papers by 1st June 2026 for publication in an edited volume.  

Extended abstracts along with author details should be sent to <eiie_2026@cds.edu> on or before 11 January 2026. Authors of selected abstracts will be intimated by 23 January 2026.