ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a stylized analysis of the evolution of a key extractive industries sector for the Indian economy and society. As one of the world's fastest growing economies, India provides valuable insights into the challenges that development brings for those people whose livelihoods and way of life revolves around coastal fisheries. It also provides important learning opportunities for development policy makers who aspire to shape development processes in relation to natural resource dependent communities. The chapter explores a human wellbeing approach to interrogate the outcomes and processes in coastal fishing communities that have been shaped by the trajectory of Indian development and the policies that have sought to influence it. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the trade-offs that confront all of the stakeholders in coastal India as the country accelerates on its development journey into the 21st century.
