About

Areas of Interest

Trade and Industrial Policy, Agriculture, Environment, Resources, Energy, and Socio-economic Development Issues including Sustainable Development Goals

Notable Competencies

Policy analysis, writing and public speaking; fair understanding of the relevant legal and political issues

Some Achievements

  • Almost three decades of experience in research, policy analysis, consulting and teaching, including in managerial/leadership roles
  • Led/coordinated several research/capacity building projects, some of them involved several partners based in multiple countries.
  • Good network with several researchers/research institutes/think tanks within India and in foreign countries, particularly in the South Asian region
  • Over 100 research/policy papers, including in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and books
  • Worked on consulting assignments of organisations like United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and the European Commission (EC)
  • A recipient of prestigious ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research) major research grant
  • Has been a member of Committees of Government Ministries, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and NITI Aayog, Government of India
  • Travelled widely across the world for fieldwork as well as attending conferences, including as resource persons in important events like UNCTAD Inter-governmental Expert Group Meeting

Current Position

  • Professor and Director, Council for Social Development, New Delhi (Since January 1, 2020)  
  • Visiting Professor, TERI School of Advanced Studies (Deemed University), New Delhi.

Responsibilities

  1. As the chief executive officer of the organisation, responsible for providing overall leadership including in the areas of research programmes, administration, finance and human resource management
  2. Conducting research and analysis in the areas of environment, trade, and social development issues including providing guidance to younger researchers  
  3. Monitoring and/or leading research projects in the above areas.
  4. Developing project ideas/proposals and communicating with the clients/supporting agencies.

Previous Employment

Jan 2007 – Dec 2019

Senior Fellow & Associate Director and Head, Resource Efficiency and Governance Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India (www.teriin.org) and Adjunct Faculty, TERI School of Advanced Studies (Deemed University), New Delhi. (Working as Fellow with TERI since 2007, and then as Fellow and Area Convenor since 2008, and in the latest position since January 1, 2018)

Responsibilities included:

  • Conducting research and analysis in the areas of resources, energy, environment, trade and investment, issues and their interface with development including providing guidance to younger researchers and leading the activities of the Resource Efficiency and Governance Division at TERI 
  • Monitoring and/or leading major research projects in the above areas.
  • Developing project ideas/proposals and communicating with the clients/supporting agencies.
  • Teaching courses “Trade and Environment” and “India in the World Economy” at TERI School of Advanced Studies (Deemed University)
  • Organizing training programmes in related themes, the most important being the annual international training programme (three-week) on “Trade and Sustainable Development” in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
  • Editing the TERI journal, Journal of Resources, Energy and Development (JREaD)

Dec 2000 – Dec 2006

Policy Analyst, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), Jaipur, India (www.cuts-international.org).

Responsibilities included:

  • Conducting Policy Analysis (Research) in the areas of Competition Policy, Trade & Investment Policies and their interface with Development.
  • Monitoring and/or leading major research projects in the areas of Competition Policy, Trade & Investment Policies and their interface with Development.
  • Developing project ideas/proposals and communicating with the clients/supporting agencies.
  • Editing of ReguLetter, CUTS’ Quarterly Newsletter on developments relating to competition policy and economic regulation.

July 1998 – Nov. 2000

Senior Manager, Asian Society for Entrepreneurship Education & Development (ASEED), New Delhi.

Responsibilities included:    

  • Conducting Situation Analysis/Baseline Studies, Impact Assessment Studies in the area of development.
  • Planning, monitoring and evaluating development projects in different Indian states
  • Providing training & consultancy services to budding and existing entrepreneurs.

July 1997 - June 1998

Lecturer in Economics, FORE School of Management, New Delhi

Responsibilities included:

  1. Teaching: PGDBM (MBA) modules taught were:
  • Managerial Economics & Capital Budgeting:
  • Economic Environment of Business (Macroeconomics)
  • International Business: Geo-political Environment (International Trade)
  1. Research & consultancy in areas like industry studies, market research and corporate & strategic planning.
  2. Providing guidance to students for their projects in the areas of market research/feasibility studies etc

Nov 1995 - May 1997

Consultant (Economist), National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.

Responsibilities included:

Conducting research and evaluation studies in the areas of industrial and socio-economic development, with the following functions: 

  • Preparing questionnaires and study plan
  • Field work and analysis of data
  • Preparation & presentation of reports.

April 1994 - Nov' 1995

Junior Research Fellow (Equivalent to Lecturer), Council for Social Development (CSD), New Delhi.

Responsibilities included:

  • Conducting research, evaluation studies/impact assessment etc. in the area of socio-economic development
  • Providing editorial assistance for the official journal, Social Change

Academic Record

1992-1996 & 2019

Ph. D from Jawaharlal Nehru University (Centre for Economic Studies and Planning), New Delhi. The Thesis Title: “Issues in Industrial Performance: An Indian Perspective” under the supervision of Prof. Deepak Nayyar and Prof. Krishnendu Ghosh Dastidar.

1991 - 1992

Completed the coursework of the M.Phil. Programme of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, at the Centre for Economic Studies & Planning.

1989 - 1991

Completed MA in Economics from the Centre for Economic Studies & Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

1985 - 1988

Graduated with Honours in Economics from the University of Calcutta, Calcutta.

Fellowships and Awards

1991

Awarded Junior Research Fellowship for five years (and also declared eligible for lectureship) by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the basis of a national level test called the National Educational Testing (NET).

1989 – 1991

Awarded scholarship for two years from Jawaharlal Nehru University on the basis of meritorious performance in the entrance test conducted by the University at all-India level. The award covered tuition fees and costs of board and lodging at the University.

1983 – 1985

Awarded scholarship for two years from the Directorate of Public Instruction, Government of West Bengal on the basis of Madhyamik Pariksha (Secondary Examination) of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.

Other Engagements

Field Experience

  • Done extensive fieldwork in about 20 states of India dealing with households, industrial units/houses and such other entities of interest in both rural and urban areas.
  • Visited more than 40 countries spread over Asia, Africa, Europe and America for research-related activities as well as for attending conferences.

Editorial Responsibility

  • Editor, Journal of Resources, Energy and Development (JREAD), TERI Press, 2015-2019.
  • Member, Editorial Board, Social Change, 2020-
  • Has been a referee of several peer-reviewed journals and publishing houses like Routledge and Springer.

Ph. D Examination

Acted as external thesis examiner for several Ph. D candidates of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, a deemed university. Also acted as a member of research advisory committee of TERI School of Advanced Studies and the University of Delhi.

Academic Governance

Member, Board of Management, TERI School of Advanced Studies (Deemed University), New Delhi, 2022-

Member, Executive Council, National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad, 2024-

Training Programmes Attended

  • Advanced Training Programme on CGE Modelling, Partnership for Economic Policy/University of Laval, Nairobi, April 29-May 2, 2015. 
  • Cambridge Advanced Programme on Rethinking Development Economics, Cambridge University, UK.
  • “Organisational Development Facilitation Skills” organised by ASEED in June 1999 and May 2000.
  • “Negotiating to Win-Win: Managing Differences” with noted HRM Consultant C.N. Kumar as the Course Director. Programme organised by ASEED, 13 -16 June 1999.
  • “Quality Management for Small & Medium Enterprises” at Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, 8 -10 April 1999.

Conducted

Conducted a training programme on “Trade and Sustainable Development: Issues before developing countries”, for about a decade with support from the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, under its ITEC (India Technical Economic Cooperation) programme.

Computer Knowledge

Conversant with MS-Office and familiar with several statistical software packages.

Professional Association

  1. Life Member, The Indian Econometric Society.
  2. Life Member, The Indian Economic Association

Languages Known

English, Bengali and Hindi.

Publications

Around 100 research publications including in peer-reviewed and other journals, edited volumes, and as books and working papers. Publications are on hard-core economic issues covering international trade, investment policy and economic growth as well as related issues like industrialization and sectoral issues and also on energy, resources and environment. A book titled, “Expanding Frontiers of Global Trade Rules”, published by Routledge in 2008 received wide acclaim. A recent book titled, “India’s Industrial Policy and Performance” also published by Routledge has received early praise by experts. One of the papers on foreign direct investment has been cited widely.

Research Projects

Led about 20 major research/consulting projects and also worked in about a dozen projects as a member or adviser. I have also completed about a dozen small consulting assignments.

Conferences

Attended about 40 international conferences abroad, 40 international conferences in India, 50 national conferences and about 30 state-level or institute level seminars/conferences mostly as invited speakers but also as chair or paper presenters. Organized several conferences including about 20 being national or international, and about a dozen held outside India.