Public policy consulting in an emerging Indian framework

Abstract

This paper seeks to highlight the milestones, influences and current imperatives in the transition from interest group lobbying to professional public affairs practice in India, an emerging and attractive market for global capital. It traces the ecosystem of business-government relations in independent India, through the phases of economic liberalisation and partial deregulation, right up till the present stage of independent regulators and consultative processes in policymaking. It examines the roles of the bureaucracy and political leadership and other stakeholders in Indian policy making. Finally, it argues how the conventional murky connotations of lobbying in a system which still retains a fair degree of discretionary powers with the government is evolving into transparent professional public affairs practice led by domain expertise and fact-based analysis.