As PM Modi makes it clear that “inclusion” is the new emerging political mantra in the country, a new report estimates that 215 million Indians are excluded from economic progress. In a country where “inclusion” is the emerging political mantra, an estimated 215 million Indians–roughly the population of Canada and Pakistan combined–are largely excluded from economic progress. These paupers, of sorts, have “zero assets”, which means they do not own a television set, a motorcycle, a mobile phone, or any of seven items recognized by the government as being of economic value, official data reveal. After the Aam Aadmi Party’s sweep to power, riding on the support of Delhi’s poorest, these huge numbers also provide an indication of the political space available for parties that focus on those excluded from economic growth. 43 million households have zero assets, according to census data. If we consider an average of five people living in a household, that gives us a figure of 215 million Indians without assets.
Of those with zero assets, nearly 80 million people—the population of Germany—or 16 million households are Adivasi.

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