Backsliding on reforms?

The repeal this month of controversial reforms aimed at liberalising the agriculture sector is arguably the biggest political setback that the Modi government has faced since coming to power in 2014. And while the direct economic impact of abandoning those reforms is limited, the bigger concern is the signal that it sends about the prospects for other contentious reforms that could make a substantial difference to economic growth over the long term. Ahead of a major election early next year in Uttar Pradesh – India’s most populous state with the largest representation in the Rajya Sabha – the ruling BJP is now highly likely to shelve reforms on the labour market that would face stiff popular opposition. A poor performance from the BJP in that election may derail the reform agenda for even longer.