India’s Caste Capitalism: A Commentary

While there is broad agreement that caste has had an enduring influence on capitalist relations, less is known about the ways caste shapes value creation, appropriation and distribution. I outline and critique four approaches that have theorised the role of caste in the economy – caste in the social structure of accumulation, Dalit capitalism, caste as a mode of production, and caste capitalism. They have different implications for the development of future scholarship and for more comprehensive theories that may make practice and policy more socially relevant and impactful.