PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Clingingsmith, David
TI  - Industrialization and Bilingualism in India
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.49.1.73
DP  - 2014 Jan 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 73--109
VI  - 49
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/49/1/73.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/49/1/73.full
SO  - J Hum Resour2014 Jan 01; 49
AB  - Bilingualism is a distinct and important form of human capital in linguistically diverse countries. When communication among workers increases productivity, there can be economic incentives to learn a second language. I study how the growth of industrial employment increased bilingualism in India between 1931 and 1961. During that period, Indian factories were linguistically mixed. I exploit industrial clustering and sectoral demand growth for identification. The effect on bilingualism was strongest in import-competing districts and among local linguistic minorities. Bilingualism was mainly the result of learning, rather than than migration or assimilation, and was not a byproduct of becoming literate. My results shed new light on human capital investment in developing economies and on the long-run evolution of languages and cultures.