Economy | Growth without gain

India's economy continues to grow at a healthy pace, but public optimism is waning as concerns over jobs, incomes, rising prices and inequality persistTHAT EMPTY FEELING: Even luxury malls like Delhi’s DLF Emporio see affluent shoppers turn cautious. (Getty Images) In times of global turmoil—whether precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or conflicts in West Asia—the Modi government has been credited with keeping the economy steady, with growth at around 7 per cent, far better than that of some of the world’s largest economies. But the questions now getting louder are: why has that growth not translated into better social outcomes—improved living conditions, more jobs and higher wages? And why, despite sustained growth, has the gap between the rich and the poor not only remained wide but actually widened?