Investigating Regional Inequalities in India: Are Indian Districts Converging?: Regional inequalities in India

The study examines the regional inequalities in India across 315 districts during 1999/2000–2010/2011. For examining convergence, parametric and non‐parametric tests are employed. Findings reveal that absolute and conditional convergences hold for the entire time period. Analysis of intra‐period convergence reveals an overall divergence during 1999–2005 and convergence during 2005–2011. Conditional variables included the number of bank branches, literacy rate and pupil–teacher ratio. Results for σ convergence reveal a higher level of dispersion during 1999–2005 and a sharp decline thereafter. These results are supported by Kernel density plots. The study reveals that Indian districts exhibited convergent behaviour only after 2005. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.