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 that lies buried in our ancient heritage, of which Kautilya’s Arthashastra is a major 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.
Sriram Balasubramanian is an economist and author based at one of the leading international monetary institutions in the world. His key areas of interest include global macroeconomics, economic history, socio-economic trends in emerging markets and Indic/dharmic culture. He has contributed to many international publications as an independent columnist and commentator.
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