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The Bombay Plan: Blueprint for Economic Resurgence
‘A Plan of Economic Development for India’, aka the Bombay Plan, written in two parts and published in 1944 and 1945, generated widespread interest in India and abroad at the time of its publication. Its authors were none other than J.R.D Tata, G.D Birla, Purushottamdas Thakurdas, Kasturbhai Lalbhai, Ardeshir Dala, Lala Sri Ram, John Mathai, and A.D. Shroff—well-known business leaders and technocrats of repute.
The Plan is unique in the history of post-colonial development. Nowhere in the developing world did a group of business leaders come together to articulate such a comprehensive vision for national development that simultaneously promoted their own class interests. Nowhere did the capitalist business class voluntarily invite State control in key sectors.
This book revisits the Bombay Plan to show how it was not only prescient in its approach to development, but was also influential in shaping economic planning and public policy in the first decade after India’s independence. It brings together leading voices from Indian industry and academia—Meghnad Desai, Sanjaya Baru, Amal Sanyal, Gita Piramal, Omkar Goswami, R. Gopalakrishnan, Tulsi Jayakumar, Ajay Chhibber, and P.S. Lokanathan—in an effort to evaluate and understand the significance of the Plan in setting the development planning agenda laid out by successive governments.
The Bombay Plan brings back to focus a historic document that has been all but forgotten despite its many path-breaking ideas.
The Plan is unique in the history of post-colonial development. Nowhere in the developing world did a group of business leaders come together to articulate such a comprehensive vision for national development that simultaneously promoted their own class interests. Nowhere did the capitalist business class voluntarily invite State control in key sectors.
This book revisits the Bombay Plan to show how it was not only prescient in its approach to development, but was also influential in shaping economic planning and public policy in the first decade after India’s independence. It brings together leading voices from Indian industry and academia—Meghnad Desai, Sanjaya Baru, Amal Sanyal, Gita Piramal, Omkar Goswami, R. Gopalakrishnan, Tulsi Jayakumar, Ajay Chhibber, and P.S. Lokanathan—in an effort to evaluate and understand the significance of the Plan in setting the development planning agenda laid out by successive governments.
The Bombay Plan brings back to focus a historic document that has been all but forgotten despite its many path-breaking ideas.
364 pages, Hardcover
Published November 20, 2018
About the author
Sanjaya Baru
17 books90 followersSanjaya Baru is an Indian political commentator and policy analyst, currently serving as Director for Geo-Economics and Strategy at the International Institute of Strategic Studies. Previously he had served as associate editor at The Economic Times and The Times of India, and then chief editor at Business Standard. His father B. P. R. Vithal served as Finance and Planning Secretary during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's stint as Secretary of Finance. Before he became a journalist, he was a member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) when he was a student at University of Hyderabad. He became Manmohan Singh's media advisor and chief spokesperson, a role in which he served from May 2004 until August 2008. In April 2014, Penguin India published The Accidental Prime Minister, Baru's tell-all memoir about his time at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). In it, Baru alleges that the prime minister was completely subservient to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who wielded significant influence in the running of the Singh administration, including the PMO itself. The book has sparked off a controversy, with the PMO officially denouncing it as "fiction". Baru, however, has said that he set out to show an empathetic portrait of the prime minister.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 31, 2019
Book : The Bombay Plan
Edited by : Sanjaya Baru & Meghnad Desai.
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Genre : Non - Fiction
Pages : 329
Rating : 4/5
With the hazy lines of Independence in sight, there was a strong wave from the educated class of Indians to lay down a path for development for India after independence as and when it would be acquired. This had led to a flurry of economic plans for this purpose. One of them that stood out having unacknowledged lasting effects on Indian Economy was The Bombay Plan.
'A Plan of Economic Development for India' aka The Bombay Plan was published in two parts in 1944 and 1945 with the efforts of innumerable business leaders and technocrats in the form of J.R.D Tata, G.D Birla, Purshottamdas Thakurdas, Kasturbhai Lalbhai, Ardeshir Dalal, Lala Shri Ram, John Mathai and A.D. Shroff.
It was an unique instance nowhere to have happened in the world where a group of business leaders had come together to draft an economic vision for a nation while simultaneously keeping their interests in mind.
This book deals with the formation, composition and the vision shown by The Bombay Plan. It not only enlightens us about the genesis of the planning but also walks us through the influence of this plan on shaping economic planning and public policy directly in the first decade after Independence and in indirect terms the period after that.
The Bombay Plan is an compilation of essays on this economic blueprint with contributions by learner scholars like P.S Lokanathan, Amal Sanyal, Gita Piramal, Omkar Goswami, Sanjaya Baru, Tulsi Jayakumar, R Gopalakrishnan, Meghnad Desai and Ajay Chibber.
Important parts of this book along with giving weightage to the pros and cons of this plan also dedicate some thought and analysis as to why The Bombay Plan faded out of public memory and why it never got the due and importance it should have. Reasons have also been cited as to why the recurring governments, scholars, the public and also the drafters themselves did not make efforts to keep the soul of the plan alive and significant in public memory.
The book beautifully enumerates the reasons and motivation for the businessmen to draft such a plan and also the similarities and ideas that future economic plans had in common with or were inspired by The Bombay Plan. The book provides massive amount of statistical data and comparison with the provisions of the plan and the future allocations of funds and relevancy n the current economy.
Overall, this is an important read about one of the lost documents in the history of India's economic building with testaments from leading greats acknowledging it's stature.
Anybody and everybody who wants to know an overview how Indian economy developed and why it did in a certain way must pick up this book.
It was a very slow and heavy read. You will have to be patient and very indulged in the process of assessing the data and analysis this book provides. It is not for everyone, I must say. But if you're interested to know more about the pre independence scene and early days of economic planning, be my guest and pick this book at the earliest.
Happy Reading!
I thank Rupa Publications for sending across a review copy of this book.
Edited by : Sanjaya Baru & Meghnad Desai.
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Genre : Non - Fiction
Pages : 329
Rating : 4/5
With the hazy lines of Independence in sight, there was a strong wave from the educated class of Indians to lay down a path for development for India after independence as and when it would be acquired. This had led to a flurry of economic plans for this purpose. One of them that stood out having unacknowledged lasting effects on Indian Economy was The Bombay Plan.
'A Plan of Economic Development for India' aka The Bombay Plan was published in two parts in 1944 and 1945 with the efforts of innumerable business leaders and technocrats in the form of J.R.D Tata, G.D Birla, Purshottamdas Thakurdas, Kasturbhai Lalbhai, Ardeshir Dalal, Lala Shri Ram, John Mathai and A.D. Shroff.
It was an unique instance nowhere to have happened in the world where a group of business leaders had come together to draft an economic vision for a nation while simultaneously keeping their interests in mind.
This book deals with the formation, composition and the vision shown by The Bombay Plan. It not only enlightens us about the genesis of the planning but also walks us through the influence of this plan on shaping economic planning and public policy directly in the first decade after Independence and in indirect terms the period after that.
The Bombay Plan is an compilation of essays on this economic blueprint with contributions by learner scholars like P.S Lokanathan, Amal Sanyal, Gita Piramal, Omkar Goswami, Sanjaya Baru, Tulsi Jayakumar, R Gopalakrishnan, Meghnad Desai and Ajay Chibber.
Important parts of this book along with giving weightage to the pros and cons of this plan also dedicate some thought and analysis as to why The Bombay Plan faded out of public memory and why it never got the due and importance it should have. Reasons have also been cited as to why the recurring governments, scholars, the public and also the drafters themselves did not make efforts to keep the soul of the plan alive and significant in public memory.
The book beautifully enumerates the reasons and motivation for the businessmen to draft such a plan and also the similarities and ideas that future economic plans had in common with or were inspired by The Bombay Plan. The book provides massive amount of statistical data and comparison with the provisions of the plan and the future allocations of funds and relevancy n the current economy.
Overall, this is an important read about one of the lost documents in the history of India's economic building with testaments from leading greats acknowledging it's stature.
Anybody and everybody who wants to know an overview how Indian economy developed and why it did in a certain way must pick up this book.
It was a very slow and heavy read. You will have to be patient and very indulged in the process of assessing the data and analysis this book provides. It is not for everyone, I must say. But if you're interested to know more about the pre independence scene and early days of economic planning, be my guest and pick this book at the earliest.
Happy Reading!
I thank Rupa Publications for sending across a review copy of this book.
May 8, 2019
The Bombay Plan is a compilation of essays originally published in 1944 & 1945 written by well-known business leaders and technocrats like J.R.D Tata, G.D.Birla, Purushottamdas Thakurdas, Kasturbhai Lalbhai and many more. .
.
The Plan was written even before independence because the educated class of Indians wanted to be ready with a blueprintbof economic path to shape India's growth. The plan is unique in the history of post colonial development as nowhere in the developing world did a group of business leader come together to articulate such a comprehensive vision for national development. .
.
.
The book contains detailed analysis of Indian economy, formation of the plan and how it rolled out in the initial years of the independent India and why it was later forgotten despite its path-breaking ideas. .
.
.
It's a slow and detail read which demands an understanding for the Indian economy. But it's a brilliant read for the people who want to know more about the policies and strategies used by India pre-independence and post.
A very informative read!
.
The Plan was written even before independence because the educated class of Indians wanted to be ready with a blueprintbof economic path to shape India's growth. The plan is unique in the history of post colonial development as nowhere in the developing world did a group of business leader come together to articulate such a comprehensive vision for national development. .
.
.
The book contains detailed analysis of Indian economy, formation of the plan and how it rolled out in the initial years of the independent India and why it was later forgotten despite its path-breaking ideas. .
.
.
It's a slow and detail read which demands an understanding for the Indian economy. But it's a brilliant read for the people who want to know more about the policies and strategies used by India pre-independence and post.
A very informative read!
Read
April 8, 2024This book is a "What If" story revolves around the efforts of the business community in building a new India post independence.
With all talks about crony capitalism and suit boot ki sarkar, this book is a breath of fresh air. Not every handshake or a photo together is with an objective to abuse the position or give or take undue benefit.
We lost the initial decades when things could have been significantly different and this book confirms that the business community was ready to contribute and join hands for with the Government with only country's progress in mind.
"What if" topics give us a chance to look back in time and not repeat the mistakes we did...
With all talks about crony capitalism and suit boot ki sarkar, this book is a breath of fresh air. Not every handshake or a photo together is with an objective to abuse the position or give or take undue benefit.
We lost the initial decades when things could have been significantly different and this book confirms that the business community was ready to contribute and join hands for with the Government with only country's progress in mind.
"What if" topics give us a chance to look back in time and not repeat the mistakes we did...
March 29, 2020
It's rare to find that a book is written on the economic history of a country. This book takes the reader through the early days of pre-independence and post independence and the road map layed for the economic development. What surprised me was the detailed of the plan and the kind of people involved in it. The book brings out the obvious questions and answers the un-obvious ones. Anyone who is fond of either economics or political history should be reading this book.
March 29, 2019
The Plan was a unique initiative in the ’40s by industry leaders inviting state control in key economic sectors without endangering their interests. A book revisits this document and its legacy
October 10, 2019
Last few chapters told the original plan how we started our journey after 1947 was useful for me. There was a lot of history elsewhere which I was not able to relate to.
November 4, 2019
It is a compilation of essays about the pre-Independence plan which shaped the economy of India post Independence.
The essays are written by a number of well known personalities.
"The Bombay Plan" is the name (lay man term) given to a World War II-era set of proposals for the development of the post-independence economy of India.
This book is very well researched, and has in depth details about the advantages and disadvantages of this particular plan. It is also one of the few books on the economy of India.
I gained a lot of knowledge from it.
This book is a very heavy read, I wasn't able to read it completely because I lacked the patience and concentration to do so. So, I suggest you only pick it up, if you are someone who can read non-fiction books which are not easy to read in a sense.
The essays are written by a number of well known personalities.
"The Bombay Plan" is the name (lay man term) given to a World War II-era set of proposals for the development of the post-independence economy of India.
This book is very well researched, and has in depth details about the advantages and disadvantages of this particular plan. It is also one of the few books on the economy of India.
I gained a lot of knowledge from it.
This book is a very heavy read, I wasn't able to read it completely because I lacked the patience and concentration to do so. So, I suggest you only pick it up, if you are someone who can read non-fiction books which are not easy to read in a sense.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews