Abstract:
Despite high overall economic growth rates in many Asian countries in the past two decades, many policy
makers in Asia and in international organizations have become increasingly concerned that this growth has
been too uneven and often accompanied by rising income inequality. In addition, it appeared that
disadvantaged groups, people in remote rural locations, and women, have not benefited proportionately from
this rapid economic growth. India’s Eleventh Five-Year Plan, 2007–2012 entitled “Inclusive Growth”
included strategies to promote the well-being and participation of disadvantaged groups. The Eleventh Plan
sought to shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. Inclusiveness a critical element in
the strategy was to be achieved by ensuring that The Plan sought to deal with these deficiencies through
programmes aimed at providing access to health, education and other essential services and programmes of
livelihood support. There are two options that characterise growth as inclusive. One is the process and the
other is the outcomes. In terms of outcome, inclusive growth could be termed “disadvantage-reducing”
growth. The Indian experience with reforms in the last two decades reveals that while there have been
achievements on the economic growth front, inequalities have increased and exclusion continues. Gender
balance has been viewed as a multi-dimensional objective and one among the listed monitorable targets of
inclusive growth. Despite perceptible improvement in the socio-economic status of the disadvantaged groups,
much more needs to be done to ensure that socially disadvantaged groups such as women take full advantage
of India’s growth story. Entrepreneurship has gained greater significance at global level under changing
economic scenario. The entrepreneurial skills are needed to improve the quality of life for individuals, families
and communities and to sustain a healthy economy and environment. Rural entrepreneurship is the answer
to removal of rural poverty in India. Rural development now sees entrepreneurship as a strategic development
intervention that could accelerate the rural development process.
