India was an economic power to reckon with until its economic decline in the 18th century. What explains this long period of prosperity? The answer might lie in a framework of social and economic thought buried in our ancient heritage, says Sriram Balasubramanian, of which Kautilya’s Arthashastra is a prominent example.
Kautilyanomics for Modern Times seeks to do three things—first, to provide a structure and a context for Kautilya’s economic thoughts; second, to examine his work’s relevance today; and third, to do it in a way that a lay reader can follow and grasp easily. Kautilya’s thought is mainly articulated through the prism of dharmic capitalism and its components—some examples include his views on the global economic outlook, state-market dynamics, and sustainable growth through observance of environmental, societal, and familial responsibilities.
Fathoming India’s rich economic and philosophical heritage and making use of it, Balasubramanian argues, would prove to be a great asset in the nation’s ascent again.
Sriram Balasubramanian is a reputed Economist and Author whose key areas of interest include global macroeconomics, economic trends in emerging markets, new growth models, Indic/Dharmic culture & an innate passion for India’s socio-economic happenings. He has contributed Op-Eds and interviews to publications such as the New York Times, Foreign Policy, Forbes India, Bloomberg, The Hindu, The Times of India, Swarajya among others. Moreover, he has also been a panelist on CNBC-TV18 and Bloomberg podcasts.
He has authored two books ‘Jamba-The Joint Family’ and ‘The Wizards’ (US version). His latest book is an analysis of Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’ which has been in the works for half a decade. It is published by Bloomsbury publishers.