Kautilyanomics: For Modern Times

India was an economic power to reckon with until its economic decline in the 18th century. What explains this long period of prosperity? The answer might lie in a framework of social and economic thought that lies buried in our ancient heritage, says Sriram Balasubramanian, of which Kautilya's Arthashastra is a major example.

Kautilyanomics for Modern Times seeks to do three things-first, to provide a structure and a context for Kautilya's economic thoughts; second, to examine his work's rel...