Quiet Revolution - Industrialisation and welfare policy in rural Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu belongs to those parts of India, which have experienced considerable economic growth and economic and social development in the past 25 years. In our panel study of six villages in Karur and Tiruchirapalli districts, we have documented this development in various ways. The most important findings relate to a doubling of real incomes, rapid growth of non-farm incomes and a sharp reduction of inequality in terms of assets and income. The main driving forces behind these development is industrialisation reaching the villages and progressive state social policy interventions providing a safety net for poor people, which has drastically improved their life chances.