This book analyses the transition of South Asian nations from agrarian to industrialized economies, which is accompanied by a widening gap between agricultural and non-agricultural growth rates and a greater income disparity between farmers and urban residents.

The chapters, contributed by experts in the field, analyze various issues in the transitional process of economic development in South Asia by focusing mainly on India’s “agricultural adjustment problem” and the issues concerning industrial sectors. The book deals first with challenges related to the farmers’ struggles, including traders and processors, and how they can adapt to the more sophisticated market demand for their products emerging mainly in urban areas or even abroad. It then focuses on the developments in the non-agricultural sector, introducing a global value chain (GVC) perspective. It finally analyses trends in labor migration and labor markets closely linked to the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.

This book is a valuable addition to the field of Development Economics and South Asian Economics.

Kazuo Tomozawa is a Professor at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan. He is co-editor of Inclusive Development in South Asia (Routledge 2022, with Toshie Awaya).

Koichi Fujita is a Professor in the School of International Politics, Economics and Communication, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan. He is co-editor of Sustainable Development in India (Routledge 2021, with Tsukasa Mizushima).