Perspectives on Indian Economic Development

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Workshop for PhD Scholars and Young Faculty
21–26 September 2026
Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram

India’s development experience presents a complex and evolving landscape marked by rapid economic growth, structural shifts across sectors, technological change, demographic transitions, changing labour markets, persistent inequalities, and considerable variations across regions and social groups. These processes are deeply interconnected, and understanding India’s development trajectory requires engagement with broader theoretical debates as well as with the empirical evidence emerging from different dimensions of the economy and society.

It is in this context that the workshop seeks to provide PhD scholars and young faculty working on the Indian economy with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of their respective areas of research while locating them within these wider and interconnected processes of development. Through engagement with leading scholars and contemporary research, participants will have the opportunity to explore linkages across different dimensions of development, engage with diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives, and develop a more integrated understanding of the forces shaping India’s development trajectory.

Against this background, the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram,with support from the K N Raj Endowment Fund,  is organising a six-day workshop titled “Perspectives on Indian Economic Development” from 21 to 26 September 2026. The workshop is intended for PhD scholars and young faculty based in Kerala and will bring together 30 participants from universities, colleges and research institutions across the state.

The programme will combine four days of intensive lectures, thematic discussions and interactions with scholars, followed by two days of engagement with the Conference on Structural Transformation in India, to be held at CDS on 25 and 26 September 2026. Participation in the conference will be an integral part of the workshop, providing participants with an opportunity to engage directly with contemporary research and wider scholarly debates on India’s development and structural transformation.

Thematic Focus

The overarching theme of the workshop will be Indian Economic Development. The workshop will approach development as a multidimensional process and provide participants with exposure to a range of interconnected themes. These may include, among others:

• Economic growth and structural transformation in India
• Agriculture, agrarian change and rural transformation
• Trade, technology and industrialization Employment, unemployment and the changing world of work
• Migration and urbanization
• Gender and women’s participation in the economy
• Poverty, inequality and social mobility
• Human development, education, health and capabilities
• Social protection and welfare
• Climate change, sustainability and development
• Regional disparities and subnational development
• Public policy, institutions and the role of the state in development

Workshop Structure and Approach

The workshop will be organised as an intensive six-day academic programme designed to combine structured learning with exposure to contemporary research and scholarly debate.

The first four days, from 21 to 24 September 2026, will consist of lectures, thematic sessions and interactive discussions led by scholars with expertise in different areas of Indian economic development. Rather than focusing exclusively on textbook approaches, the sessions will encourage participants to engage with contemporary research, competing perspectives and emerging empirical evidence.

The programme will include lectures by invited scholars, thematic discussions on key dimensions of Indian economic development, engagement with influential and recent research, and opportunities for interaction between participants and senior researchers

The final two days, 25 and 26 September 2026, will involve participants attending and engaging with the Conference on Structural Transformation in India at CDS. Participation in the conference will form an integral part of the workshop. It will provide participants with an opportunity to listen to and interact with scholars presenting contemporary research, observe academic debates around ongoing research, and relate the themes discussed during the preceding workshop sessions to research being presented at the conference.

For queries regarding the workshop, please contact:

Name of Coordinators
Prof. Vinoj Abraham, vinoj@cds.edu
Dr. Ritika Jain, ritika@cds.edu
Mr. Emmanuel T. J, emmanuel@cds.edu (+91-471-2774 256)