Abstract

Globalisation came to India through the economic reforms and is gradually transforming our culture and self image. This paper proposes to theorise the transition of the Indian economy and situate the process of economic liberalisation in India in its wider context. The distinction between globalisation as a process and globalisation as a project is made. While the economic reforms of the 1990s stimulated growth, the direct beneficiaries were more affluent urban dwellers. Social reform has lagged behind economic reform. The paradigm shift in the Indian planning from growth with stability and social justice to neo-liberal development is traced. This is linked to the theoretical discourses on globalisation and their applicability in the Indian context.

Key words: Globalisation, liberalisation, social transformation, India.