The Great Disconnect : The Paradox of India's Economic Growth and Employment Crisis

The Great Disconnect: The Paradox of India’s Economic Growth and Employment Crisis, examines the paradox of India's remarkable economic growth alongside persistent employment challenges, revealing the complex dynamics of what the author terms "the great disconnect" between development and suitable work opportunities. Drawing on extensive research and policy experience, Professor K.P. Kannan explores how India's economic reforms have created a troubling divergence between GDP growth and quality employment generation. The book provides critical insights into jobless growth patterns, the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers, persistent wage inequalities, and the marginalisation of women and less-educated workers in rural areas. Through detailed analysis of employment elasticity, informal sector dynamics, and social security gaps, Kannan demonstrates how the majority of India's workforce remains trapped in precarious employment without basic protections. The study extends beyond national boundaries to examine similar challenges across the Global South, particularly within BRICS countries, whilst proposing strategies for organising informal workers and achieving inclusive development. This authoritative work will be essential reading for development economists, labour specialists, policy makers, and researchers examining employment challenges in emerging economies in the Global South. It provides valuable insights for international development agencies, government officials, labour organisations, and academics studying the intersection of economic growth and social development in contemporary India and the broader developing world.