Growth Is Good

Foundation for Economic Development
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At Foundation for Economic Development (FED), we believe the evidence clearly shows that economic, GDP-measured growth is critical to improving everyone's standard of living; that it is the single-biggest determinant of human development outcomes such as improved health, education, and employment. Growth is good! It enables everything we cherish - employment, equity and even gender equality! This podcast features insightful conversations with leaders from industry and academia, who share their different perspectives on India's economic growth trajectory, and what we must do to grow further.

  1. JAN 30

    Why Enforcing a Contract Is So Hard in India Ft. Anand Kumar| Ep 23 | Growth is Good

    In this episode of Growth is Good, Rahul Ahluwalia is joined by Anand Prasad, co-founder of Trilegal, for a wide-ranging conversation on India’s legal system, economic growth, and the incentives that quietly shape how business actually works.Anand traces his journey from becoming a lawyer just after liberalisation to building one of India’s most influential corporate law firms. From there, the conversation moves into deeper questions:• Why breach of contract has become a “resource” rather than a deterrent• How delays, litigation, and weak enforcement slow down deal-making• Why technology alone can’t fix government systems without changing incentives• The role of culture — from “milord” courtrooms to the chalta-hai mindset• How regulation, corruption, and premature imitation shape everyday business decisionsUsing examples ranging from power sector reform to the pakoda-thela economy, this episode explores why India’s economy continues to function despite systemic friction — and what real reform would actually require.A candid, experience-driven conversation on law, incentives, culture, and growth.

    1h 17m

  2. 12/31/2025

    Why India Still Needs to Defend Freedom | Amit Varma & Mohit Satyanand | Ep 22 | Growth is Good

    What did it really mean to start a business under the Licence Raj? Why is socialism back as a “feel-good” word? And why do Amit Varma and Mohit Satyanand worry that we’re drifting away from the spirit of 1991, even as India’s young entrepreneurs give them hope?In this episode of Growth is Good, Rahul Ahluwalia sits down with writer–podcaster Amit Varma and investor–entrepreneur Mohit Satyanand to talk about India’s reforms, the return of soft socialism, and why defending economic freedom is never “finished business”. From Crax and DGT forms to luxury beliefs, Nordic myths and small-town founders raising crores, this is a wide-ranging conversation on growth, ideas and the politics that shape both.Tune in on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1duNg498QR8Subscribe to our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/fedev.org/amitabh-kant-on-the-spirit-of-enterprise-indias-untapped-tourism-potential-shifting-migration-patterns-more-fed-june-newsletter-12817567

    56 min

  3. 11/28/2025

    India’s Growth Leap: Insights from EAC-PM Member Shamika Ravi | Ep 21 | Growth is Good

    What really pulled 302 million Indians out of poverty?In this episode of Growth is Good, Rahul Ahluwalia sits down with Dr Shamika Ravi, Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), to unpack what the latest data actually says about poverty, growth, inequality and jobs in India.They talk about her journey from development economist to growth thinker, why a famous ultra-poor experiment changed her mind, and why reforms in labour laws and regulation matter so much.Video version available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/riqw6NL0fMg📩 For more research, data stories and episodes, subscribe to the FED newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/fedev.org/creating-100000-jobs-andhras-export-roadmap-and-indias-next-growth-wave-fed-october-newsletter

    43 min

  4. 10/31/2025

    Creating 100,000 Jobs & Becoming One of the Largest Apparel Exporters | Ep 20 | Growth is Good

    Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel exporter, started in 1974 with one sewing machine. Today, it employs over 100,000 workers across 50+ factories, with women making up nearly 70% of its workforce. In this episode of Growth is Good, we explore Shahi’s remarkable rise, its impact on women’s empowerment, and what it teaches us about India’s manufacturing potential. From family-led beginnings to becoming a global supplier for the world’s top brands, this is the story of how one company stitched together an industry success. 📘 Learn more about Shahi’s journey in our detailed case study report: https://www.fedev.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Web-Page-View_31st-March_SHAHI-EXPORTS.pdf

    56 min

  5. 10/03/2025

    How India’s IT Boom Took Off and Why Tax Reform Still Lags | Ep 19 | Growth is Good

    Entrepreneur and thinker Jerry Rao joins Growth is Good to reflect on India’s reform story — from the unlikely rise of the software and BPO industries to why simplifying taxes and fixing administration are key to sustaining growth.Chapters:0:00 – 1:51 | Promo1:52 – 7:55 | Teachers’ unions, election roles, & why admin reform must precede attitude change7:56 – 9:38 | “We lost 20 years”: License Raj, FERA, & anti-business training of the bureaucracy9:39 – 15:47 | Targets, tax harassment, appeals-as-punishment, and how it strangles small firms15:48 – 16:31 | From policy to practice: why execution trumps intent16:32 – 35:40 | (General reform context) Culture, bureaucracy, and risk aversion in India’s growth story35:41 – 57:14 | (Broader policy thread) PILs, POSCO, copper, and how process blocks projects57:14 – 57:33 | Setting up the software/BPO question57:33 – 1:02:15 | How India’s IT boom “happened by accident”: SEEPZ rules, exporting “over the wire,” the floppy-disk hack, self-certification, and early BPO1:02:15 – 1:05:07 | The 16%–16% idea: one GST rate, one income-tax rate; why complexity breeds gaming1:05:07 – 1:06:01 | Flat, simple, predictable beats exemptions and discretion1:06:02 – 1:08:38 | Start with administration: defense reforms by memo; stop revenue “targets” and serial appeals1:08:38 – 1:10:21 | Our administrative DNA: colonial incentives, exchange rate for pensions, and lingering habits1:10:22 – 1:13:38 | Teacher unions again, absenteeism, why vouchers/private schools bypass the gridlock1:13:38 – 1:15:32 | Unintended consequences: tax “terrorism” doesn’t raise revenue; it kills activity1:15:32 – 1:16:24 | Politics of ideas: why persistent articulation (Fabians-style) still matters1:16:24 – 1:20:48 | Culture, commerce, and closing reflections on India’s reform pathTune in on Spotify:Watch more episodes of Growth is Good:    • How India’s IT Boom Took Off and Why Tax R...  Subscribe to our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/fedev.org/amitabh-...

    1h 21m

  6. 08/29/2025

    What India Learned (and Missed) from 30 Years of Reform | Ep 18 | Growth is Good

    In this episode of Growth is Good, Rahul speaks with Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and a central figure in India’s reform journey. They discuss how reforms were debated and designed inside government, why some changes stuck while others stalled, and what it takes to build political coalitions around growth. Montek reflects on lessons from the 1991 reforms, the “MD Note” that leaked into public debate, the role of leaders like Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, and why continuity across governments mattered. The conversation also looks ahead: how India can reach 8% growth, the challenges of climate change and technology disruption, and why states must lead the next wave of reforms. A rare insider’s view on three decades of reform — and what India must do to deliver on the promise of Viksit Bharat. Also available on YouTube: Transcript available on our website: Subscribe to our Newsletter for more: https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=3a4e56aeafa412e3509f7836b&id=bad6ee09d2

    1h 24m

  7. 08/01/2025

    How Nehru Shaped and Narasimha Rao Transformed the Economy | Ep 17 | Arvind Panagariya

    In this episode of Growth is Good, Arvind Panagariya returns to unpack his latest book, The Nehru Development Model—a sweeping intellectual and historical account of how India embraced socialism post-independence and why it stayed stuck there for decades.We dive deep into how Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of industrialization, planning, and self-sufficiency created a sprawling license-permit Raj, why Indian intellectuals, bureaucrats, and businesses bought into the model, and how Narasimha Rao (not just 1991) ultimately broke the mould.What we cover:How Nehru built his unique brand of socialismThe heavy-industry obsession and its lasting costsWhy reforms failed under Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, and Rajiv GandhiHow Narasimha Rao became India’s Deng XiaopingWhy the legacy of the “Nehru Model” still lingers in bureaucracy, business, and the academyThis is a must-watch for anyone curious about India’s economic journey—why it stalled for decades, how it finally turned a corner, and what it takes to keep reform momentum alive. 🎧 Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nTNK5QQP3fwSubscribe to our Newsletter for more: https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?u=3a4e56aeafa412e3509f7836b&id=bad6ee09d2 📘 Grab The Nehru Development Model by Arvind Panagariya for the full story.

    2h 24m

  8. 06/27/2025

    From 'Incredible India' to G20: Amitabh Kant on Reform, Enterprise & Policy | Ep 16 | Growth is Good

    What drives India’s biggest reforms? How did campaigns like Incredible India and Startup India come to life? And what really goes on inside the engine room of government?When we talk about economic reform in India, we often think of big slogans or bureaucratic hurdles. But few people have actually been inside the engine room of reform quite like Amitabh Kant. From his early days as a district collector to spearheading campaigns like God’s Own Country and Incredible India, and later shaping national programs like Startup India, Ease of Doing Business, and the G20 presidency—he has been a central figure in India’s transition from a control-driven state to an enabling one.In this wide-ranging conversation, he reflects on what it really took to brand India on the global stage, how punishment postings turned into platforms for innovation, and why enterprise—not just policy—is central to national progress. He shares candid views on privatization, public sector reform, and how India’s bureaucracy can evolve to match the ambition of its people. As he closes out a storied public career, this episode is both a retrospective and a forward-looking blueprint from someone who’s helped shape the India we see today.If you're interested in economic development, public policy, branding India globally, or just want to understand how India is positioning itself on the world stage, this conversation is for you.🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to stay updated with future episodes of Growth is Good.#AmitabhKant #G20India #IncredibleIndia #StartupIndia #EaseOfDoingBusiness #IndianEconomy #NITIAayog #GrowthIsGoodPodcast

    30 min
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About

At Foundation for Economic Development (FED), we believe the evidence clearly shows that economic, GDP-measured growth is critical to improving everyone's standard of living; that it is the single-biggest determinant of human development outcomes such as improved health, education, and employment. Growth is good! It enables everything we cherish - employment, equity and even gender equality! This podcast features insightful conversations with leaders from industry and academia, who share their different perspectives on India's economic growth trajectory, and what we must do to grow further.

Information

  • Creator
    Foundation for Economic Development
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Foundation for Economic Development
  • Show Website
    Growth Is Good