This book argues that any serious analysis of industrialization must consider the influence of economic geography–proximity to resources and markets, transportation costs; and political economy, or the state–policy decisions on infrastructure, exchange rates, land use, and globalization. Based on detailed data collected at multiple spatial levels from the neighbourhood to the metropolitan region, and the district to the nation, it shows that the industrialization processes have to be understood in terms of the interaction of markets and states. The 1991 reforms are taken as the point of departure, but mindful of actions taken in the past, the authors incorporate relevant events from the nineteenth century. They identify and map the emerging economic geography of India and highlight the leading edges and lagging pockets. Their findings show that location of post-reform investment favours the coast, advanced regions, and metropolises, and this is truer for foreign direct investments than domestic investments. They also demonstrate how private capital is directed towards leading industrial regions and away from socialist governments. In analysing the reasons for industrial clustering, the authors suggest that location decisions are influenced by state regulations. The book concludes with a discussion on what could be done to attract investments in a state like Bihar. A fundamental contribution to theory and methodology in economic geography and development, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of development studies, industrial geography, economic geography, and public policy.
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