India’s Invisible Rails: The Enduring Path Dependence of Empire
India’s Invisible Rails: The Enduring Path Dependence of Empire British rule did not merely govern India for 190 years—it rewired its economic, political, and institutional DNA through a cascade of self-reinforcing choices. From QWERTY-like lock-ins in railway gauges to Westminster scaffolding in Parliament, colonial decisions created increasing returns that amplified small historical accidents into century-long trajectories. Paul David’s 1985 insight that “history matters” finds vivid proof: India’s 54,000 km broad-gauge network, English-medium IITs, and IAS bureaucracy are all third-degree path-dependent artifacts. Post-1947, Nehru’s socialism and 1991 liberalization operated within these rails, not outside them. The result? A services superpower ($250 bn IT exports) riding colonial English, but a manufacturing dwarf (14 % GDP) trapped by extractive ports and fragmented farms. Politically, FPTP coalitions and judicial PILs thrive on British foundations, delivering stabil...