Hindu rate of growth

The term "Hindu rate of growth" was coined by the Indian economist Raj Krishna in 1978, and is often used by advocates of economic liberalisation. It refers to the annual growth rate of India's economy before the economic reforms of 1991, which averaged 4% from the 1950s to the 1980s.

India was a leader in the non-aligned movement and sought to maintain a neutral stance during the Cold War. As a result, it did not receive the same level of aid from the US and other Western countries as countries that were more closely aligned with the West. Economists critical of neoliberalism criticised the term as oversimplifying the complex economic, political, and social factors that contribute to a country's rate of growth, as well as the use of GDP growth rate as a metric for "progress".

Research has shown that India's growth rate had begun to attain higher growth since Indira Gandhi's time in 1980s due to economic reforms, with average growth rate of 5.8% in 1981 to 1991.