This book addresses such issues and examines how divergence in governance and political processes has influenced their growth trajectories. This book examines the socio-economic and political scenario of India’s southern states vis-à-vis their northern counterparts. Exploring the paradox behind the underlying North–South divide in India, it reveals that the gap was much smaller at the outset, with the North having had a head start in certain areas. It goes on to establish that although the South was somewhat better placed in terms of initial conditions, it was the post-liberalization era that saw it realizing this potential and surging forward.