The question of regional development holds special significance for India, given that the regions are not entirely homogeneous. The high growth rate of the economy as a whole has not led to a similar growth pattern for its regions. An analysis on regional convergence across 15 major states in India suggests that there is divergence of the aggregate economy for the period 1970–71 to 2013–14. The findings therefore do not lend support to the expectations of the neoclassical convergence hypothesis according to which poor regions tend to catch up with the advanced regions in the long run leading to regional convergence.
