Foreign Trade Regimes and Economic Development: India. By Jagdish N. Bhagwati and T.N. Sirinivasan. New York Columbia University Press (Published by the National Bureau of Economic Research 1975) 261 pages.

This volume on India is one of a series of research projects on exchange control, liberalization, and economic development, undertaken for many less developed countries. The study deals with three major topics: exchange control, liberalization, and growth. First, under ‘The Anatomy of Exchange Control’, the methods of allocation and intervention in the foreign trade and payments practised by the government during the restrictive period 1956-66 and their economic impact are discussed. Then, a detailed analysis of the ‘Liberalization Episode’ which covers the policies in the period 1966-68, including the June 1966 devaluation, and the episode’s effect on price level, economic activity, and exports is given. Finally, the overall growth effects of the foreign trade regime (broadly defined as exchange rate policy plus the frame-work of relevant domestic policies such as industrial licensing), and their possible contribution to India’s rather unsatisfactory economic performance are examined.