BACK in 2014 when Narendra Modi was first elected, he was supposed to transform the perennially under-performing Indian economy. The Gujarat-born leader promised to replicate his home state’s success across the republic – unleashing a torrent of jobs and opportunities for all.
Instead, five years on and after a deeply divisive election, India – according to a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey – is facing rising poverty, especially in the rural areas, as well as an unprecedented fall in consumer spending – for the first time in over four decades.