2025, Vol. 7, Issue 12, Part E

This article examines the historical transformation of the Indian state from a postcolonial developmental democracy to a contemporary majoritarian neoliberal regime. Drawing on classical and contemporary theories of the state, it situates the Indian state within broader debates on sovereignty, democracy, class power, and institutional autonomy. The study traces the evolution of the Indian state across three key phases: the developmental and secular state (1947-1991), the liberalising and pro-business state (1991-2014), and the post-2014 phase marked by the convergence of neoliberal political economy with Majoritarian State, Hindutva ideology, and right-wing populism. Engaging with influential scholarly perspectives—from Rajni Kothari and Pranab Bardhan to Partha Chatterjee, Atul Kohli, and Prabhat Patnaik—the article highlights how state power has been reconfigured through changing class alliances, identity politics, and global economic pressures. It argues that while the Indian state has historically mediated diversity through democratic inclusion and relative autonomy, recent developments indicate a shift toward majoritarian governance, corporate entrenchment, and authoritarian tendencies. The article concludes that the contemporary Indian state represents a hybrid but increasingly centralized and exclusionary political order, posing significant challenges to constitutional democracy, secularism, and social justice in India.