ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on trade and economic growth in the two countries. It makes an attempt to examine why India initially lagged behind China in achieving comparable high growth momentum. The book also asks questions about the relative performance of India vis-a-vis China in social development, in addition to their economic performance. It explores opportunities for trade and cooperation between India and China in renewable energy. The book concludes that China is able to attract more foreign direct investment as compared to India mainly due to institutional factors, such as government effectiveness, rule of law, control of corruption, and political stability. It reports that urban-rural income inequality is much higher in China than in India, finding that in both countries, migrant employment is highly segregated and spatially differentiated.
