Preferential contracting is one proposed explanation for problems in Indian industrial development during the 1920s. This interpretation separates a British government interest in developing industry from colonial governors' decisions to favor particular recipients of contracts. Some damage is attributed to the concentration of industry and a failure to understand economic consequences, rather than to a consistent policy of destruction. The interpretation remains tentative: a fuller account of Indian industrialization would require specialist economic expertise beyond the naval discussion.
Notable Point · 1:55:27-2:00:40
Colonial contracting and Indian industrial development
A tentative account of Indian industrial problems emphasizes preferential contracts, concentrated capacity, and poorly understood economic consequences.