The story of two Dravidian models

Aconsensus on populism characterises Tamil Nadu’s political economy, as much as the consensus on industrial growth and social justice

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Tamil Naduis one of India’s most industrialised states. Its industrialisation prowess looks even more impressive when seen against the fact that much of it was achieved in the post-reform period unlike some traditional industrial success stories located on India’s western coast. Among the biggest reasons for Tamil Nadu’s success in harnessing India’s post-liberalisation tailwinds for industrial growth has been a bipartisan consensus among the state’s two regional parties —the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) —to prioritise the state’s industrial growth in terms of policy continuity. Another factor, often underappreciated by market voices, has been the social egalitarianism the state achieved thanks toits early investments in social justice through re