More Opportunities for More Growth
Times of India Seminar
Building an Inclusive India
- Harsh Shrivastava
- Centre for Civil Society
January 15, 2014

Capabilities + Opportunities = Growth
o
Both are needed to promote growth, especially
inclusive growth.
o
Capabilities without opportunities cannot create
growth.
o
Opportunities without capabilities cannot sustain
growth.
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
2/11

Capabilities + Opportunities = Growth
Focus so far is on the Capabilities side of the
equation
o
o
o
o
o
o
Education
Skills
Health
Hunger
Power
Banking
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
3/11

Capabilities + Opportunities = Growth
Not enough on the Opportunities side
o Opportunity to start a business
o Opportunity to grow a business
o Opportunity to exit a business
o Employment in the organized sector is not the
answer
o Livelihoods is part of the answer, but not the whole
answer
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
4/11

Inclusive growth is more opportunities for:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Dalits
Kashmiris
Muslims
Naxal-affected area residents
North-East residents
Women
… fourteen disadvantaged groups!
The whole country needs more opportunities, especially in
rural areas!
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
5/11

Creating more opportunities: Citizens
• Cultural change
o Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship
• Educational change
o Business skills in schools
• Support of civil society
o Argue for rights, but the rights are to what end
o www.umeed.org.in
• Political change
o Aam Dhanda Party!
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
6/11

Creating more opportunities: Business
• Outsourcing
o Tata-DICCI collaboration
• Mentoring
o BYST is a good model
• Financing
o No moneylenders by 2017!
• Technology
o Mobiles for Muslims to make more money
• Support grow-ups
o Not just start-ups
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
7/11

Creating more opportunities: Government
Create physical infrastructure
o Offices, markets, haats, parking lots
Make it easy to do business
o Arun Maira committee for states
o Need equivalent for cities and panchayats
Remove KYC norms
o Currently make it impossible to get regular loans
Reduce petty corruption
o Street-sellers’ business limited by the reach of their hands
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
8/11

Creating more opportunities: Media
o
Devote 2 percent of airtime, space, etc. to
cover, celebrate, and campaign for local businesses
o
2 percent of Private Treaties investment to those
who support such small businesses
o
In self-interest: as Micro graduates to Small, it will
advertise more on your channels, papers, radio
stations
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
10/11

Inclusive growth makes economic sense
• Focus on micro-economic rather than macro
o
o
o
o
Land
Labor
Capital
Productivity
• This is also the secret to 10 percent growth
o 2 percent more from women
o 0.5 percent more from Muslims
o 0.5 percent more from Dalits
… and so on
Inclusive Growth | Centre for Civil Society | www.ccs.in
10/11

20 million more opportunities for the
marginalized by 2020
More capabilities
Plus
More opportunities
Equals
Inclusive growth