This paper addresses the logic and the structure of economic motivations for adult literacy promotion. It uses as an example the People's Republic of China to demonstrate how economic motivations can best serve the cause of adult literacy and suggests applying these concepts to India. The paper is organized in three parts. In the first part, the general nature of human motivations and the process of building and sustaining motivations is discussed. This discussion is followed by an analysis of the logic and structure of using economic motivations in adult literacy for development. In the second part, the national effort to use economic motivations in literacy and development in China is described, and the effectiveness of this ongoing effort is evaluated. In the third part, the possibilities of applying economic motivations for literacy promotion in India are suggested. (KC)