Academic - Policy Interaction

IIM Indore, 30th January, 2010: As part of the ongoing interaction with the policy makers, the EPGP students of IIM Indore had an opportunity to engage in an intensive dialogue with the Ex-Director of IIM Ahmedabad, three times RBI Chair (at IIMA) and outstanding academician Professor Bakul H. Dholakia. Professor Dholakia delivered a seminal lecture on the Economic Reforms in India stressing on the socio – political antecedents leading to the flash point of 1991. Professor Dholakia brought in unique insights on the functioning of the political system and thus complemented the standard deliverables of the courses on economic environment and policies.

Not content with the historical build up to the economic reforms, Professor Dholakia also delved deep into the policies, decisions and actions of the subsequent regimes. He disambiguated the intricate relationships between political inclinations, political compulsions and pace of economic reforms. Professor Dholakia also touched upon the robustness of the reform process and the ability of the country to hedge against the global economic crisis in 2008-09.

Answering to queries raised by the EPGP students, Professor Dholakia stated that with the interest and involvement shown by the corporate sectors in core infrastructural projects, the future of economic reform looks bright. There are several challenges however, like extending the benefits of the reform process to the less emancipated and a mechanism to enable inclusive growth in the country.

The lecture ended with the EPGP Coordinator extending his appreciation and thanks to Professor Dholakia for this interactive opportunity to the EPGP students.