The neo-liberal transformation of global economy has brought in a new trade regime replacing GATT 1947 with incorporation of services and intellectual property in the products to be exchanged and WTO as its powerful regulator. Health being one of the services has become tradable for the first time. India has chosen to engage in health trade substantially to drive economic benefits from medical tourism, export of pharmaceuticals and manpower, and to carry out contract clinical trials.

On examining the dynamics of the processes of change in the status of labour and employment in the rapidly globalising state of Gujarat in India, this study shows that the rapid growth in the state has not been shared by labour. This has resulted in the state slipping in poverty reduction, human development and in hunger removal. This study also argues that an unfair deal to labour need not be a part of neo-liberal economic reforms and that providing a just share to labour can contribute towards promoting labour-intensive and equitable growth in the state.

Global food prices continue to rise month after month, driven by longer-term and more recent trends. Financialisation is an important factor among the recent trends. There is strong evidence of correlation among the markets for different financial assets, including stocks/shares, commodities and currencies. Falling asset prices in other financial market segments may thus be more important for explaining the recent surge in food prices than supply constraints or changing demand and other factors underlying longer-term gradual upward price trends.

India has been embracing regionalism in a big way in recent years. Regional trade agreements are growing not only in number but also in their depth and coverage, thus diverting a significant portion of India’s trade through the preferential route. Such a trade promotion strategy emphasises market access rather than deal with supply-side efficiencies.

The manner in which rights at work have been identified and articulated within both the International Labour Organisation and India since the founding of the agency in 1919, bears a close similarity.

Agro-based traditional industries play a vital role in industrialisation in an underdeveloped economy. The Indian jute industry has been globally significant since colonial times and enjoyed a “major industry” status. Under globalisation it is found that the key structural ratios like labour productivity, capital intensity and total factor productivity have been increasing.