Seventy-five years after independence, India is both the world’s biggest democracy and the fastest-growing large economy. However, it also faces profound challenges that hinder both individual well-being and aggregate growth.

At this Food for Thought event by the King Center on Global Development, Karthik Muralidharan will share his analysis of India’s governance challenges, especially in delivering essential public services, and will discuss how these are limiting India’s development. Drawing on his research and practical insights from his new book Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance, he will share evidence-based strategies for India’s advancement, emphasizing state-level reforms as a critical component of change.

A light dinner will be served.

About the Speaker

Karthik Muralidharan is the Tata Chancellor's Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego. His research spans public finance and development economics with a focus on improving education, health, welfare, and public service delivery; and has been published in several leading academic journals. He has also actively engaged in policy advising and capacity building in India at both Central and state government levels, and in public communication of research insights through op-eds and podcasts.