India's recent economic growth, in a society where most remain poor and benefits are unequally distributed, poses dilemmas for policy makers and analysts. Do rapid growth and widespread inequality necessarily go hand in hand ? Can inequality be lessened without impeding the growth essential to sustain social spending ? What is a sustainable pattern of growth ?

India, historically committed to a path of social democratic progress, is taking important steps to mitigate social risk and inequality: Examples include the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Right to Education Act, legislation on food security, as well as introduction of innovative delivery mechanisms. Building on these initiatives, India's challenge now is to create an integrated political vision based on a three-fold commitment: to the values of social justice, to the instruments of markets, and to the processes of democracy.

Can India rise to this challenge ? What hurdles—cultural no less than political and economic—stand in the way of realising its social democratic ideals ? Are current priorities appropriate ? Such questions and how they might be addressed animate this remarkable twin volume collection.

An array of some of the world's leading minds—scholars and intellectuals, policymakers and politicians—draw upon both the global and Indian experience of social democracy, to offer lessons from the many struggles to align competitive markets, democracy and social justice.

They reflect, too, on the changing contours of social democracy in the context of globalisation, environmental stress and the market economy's limitations. Putting India's social democratic agenda and ambitions to critical scrutiny, issues are raised that challenge the political and ethical imagination of policymakers and citizens. Insights emerge that make this collection an illuminating read.

Sunil Khilnani is Avantha Professor and Director, India Institute at King's College, London. His research interests lie at the intersection of various fields: intellectual history and the study of political thought, the history of modern India, democratic theory in relation to its recent non-Western experiences, the politics of contemporary India, and strategic thought in the definition of India’s place in the world.

His publications include The Idea of India, translated into several languages, most recently Arabic and Tamil; and Civil Society: History and Possibilities (with Sudipta Kaviraj), as well as many essays and articles.

Manmohan (‘Moni’) Malhoutra is a Trustee of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. A Rhodes scholar and a former member of the Indian Administrative Service (1961 to 1978) he worked with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in her Secretariat from 1966-1973. He was Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London (1981-1993), a member of the Board of International IDEA, Stockholm (1996-2005), and Secretary-General of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (2001-2007).