What the ‘India hype’ hides: Economic malaise, dysfunctional politics and a broken country

It is just over two years since the manuscript of my book India is Broken went to the printer. Multiple strands of India’s post-Independence history, the book’s narrative says, have broken the country’s economy and democracy. On current trends, a social revolution looms.

I am aware that the book’s message and narrative are at dramatic odds with widely held rosy perceptions about India. Indeed, so intense is the “India hype” that some analysts project India as an emerging economic superpower. Indian democracy too seems to be in good health. In April-May 2024, the world witnessed India’s general election with awe. Of the 970 million eligible citizens, 642 million cast their votes. Voters expressed their displeasure with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 10 years of rule, and although he returned as prime minister, he did so as the head of a weakened government.

Despite this cheerful assessment of a vibrant Indian economy and polity, I read the evidence as suggesting an India more broken than two years ago.

On the economic situation, Indian authorities and international commentators use misleading statistics to portray a flattering picture. Many numbers are downright wrong, others are unimportant. In fact, the story remains grim on everything that matters to people’s lives. On the critical issue...

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