The diverse impacts of industrial development on society create interesting dimensions of relationships that lead to useful research in the field of social sciences. It is seldom appreciated that industrial development is not a goal in itself but only a means for ensuring prosperity of the people and improving their lifestyles. This area offers a fertile ground for useful research and studies that can promote national development and framing of policies and constructive perspectives in planning.
The Institute for Studies in Industrial Development, New Delhi, is a national-level policy research organisation in the public domain. It is affiliated to the Indian Council of Social Science Research. The institute has gained varied expertise in the analysis of issues thrown up by the changing policy environment.
The institute is located at 4 Institutional Area Phase II, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110 070; Website: http://isid.org.in
Areas of research
Industrial development: performance of different sectors — public, private, FDI, cooperative, small and medium enterprises and so on. Trends in Indian industries in the context of globalisation. Balanced regional development.
Corporate sector: Ownership structures; finance; mergers and acquisitions; efficacy of regulatory systems and other means of policy intervention; and trends and changes in the Indian corporate sector in the background of global developments in corporate governance, integration and competitiveness.
Trade, investment and technology: Trade policy reforms, WTO, composition and direction of trade, import intensity of exports, regional and bilateral trade, foreign investment, technology imports, R&D, and patents.
Employment, labour and social sector: Growth and structure of employment; impact of economic reforms and globalisation; trade and employment, labour regulation, social protection, health, education and so on.
Media studies: Use of modern multimedia techniques for effective, wider and focussed dissemination of social science research.
Let us now look at the diverse opportunities awaiting potential research aspirants in this prestigious institution, based on the work that is being done now, and also the areas that have already been covered.
Basic aspects concerning development are being studied, taking into account its theoretical features as well as practical implications.
Structural changes, industry and employment in the Indian economy: Macro-economic implications of emerging pattern.
The structural changes raises questions on sustainability of development process versus equity and employment. The decline in the importance of agriculture, lack of increase in manufacturing industry, growing importance of the service sector and integration of Indian economy with the world economy as part of the globalisation process are studied. Will the services sector expand fast enough to provide employment to the increasing labour force?
A programme covers six major themes: growth and structural changes in Indian economy; employment implications of structural changes; growth and structure of industry; the services sector; income distribution, demand-supply balance and prices; and trade.
Sustainable development: emerging issues in India’s mineral sector.
Employment challenges in North-Eastern States of India: role and potential of the unorganised manufacturing sector.
Crony capitalism and contemporary India (Crony capitalism represents a society in which business success depends not on market forces but on favouritism shown by government officials, in the form of tax concession, incentives and so on. Do individual businesses benefit from special relationships with those occupying positions of authority?).
Survey of corporate governance in India (Composition of company boards with emphasis on independent directors. Responsiveness of companies to other stakeholder interests).
Internationalisation process of the Indian pharmaceutical industry.
Indian multinationals in global economy: Outward FDI. Emphasis on software, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries.
Changing pattern of corporate ownership and implications for monitoring company managements.
Growth and development of the media industry.
Advertising war and struggle for markets.
National media policy and economic and cultural imperatives.
Linkages between large enterprises and the unorganised sector.
Employment implications of current financial crisis: challenges, threats and coping strategies in India.
Quality in school education: accreditation standards for schools for quality school governance.
e-governance: IT application for land survey and settlement.
Impact of foreign direct investment on selected sectors of India: a comparative study with selected countries.
Small and medium enterprises clusters in India: identifying areas of intervention for inclusive growth.
Subcontracting relations between large enterprises and the unorganised sector.
Salary discrepancies and development workers performance (an interdisciplinary project which examines a range of issues in development work, from pay and conditions to relationships between expatriate and local staff, covering China, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Malawi)
Import intensity of India’s exports in liberalised trade policy regime.
Export-orientation of foreign manufacturing affiliates in India.
Conditions of work and promotion of livelihood in the unorganised sector.
Labour regulation in Indian industry: A study of its impact on growth, investment and employment.
Defining the role of government in trans-nationalisation efforts of Indian SMEs.
High-tech industries, employment and global competitiveness.
India and China in WTO: building complementarities and competitiveness in the external trade sector.
Employment implications of growing exports, with special focus on services exports.
Demands of steel in oil, gas, water and slurry transmission segments.
Savings and capital formation of the Indian private corporate sector.
Global capital flows and the Indian stock market.
Privatisation in India — social effects and restructuring.
Economic liberalisation and Indian agriculture.
Exchange rates, trade policy and tariff structure.
Employment generation and rural labour.
The institute offers an excellent platform for those social science students who have a special interest on the social implications of industrial development.
