Published Papers

• "No Substitute for Strong Institutions: Impact of Accelerators on New Venture Performance" with Pramendra Singh Tank and Dibyendu Sharma. (2024). Journal of Business Venturing Insights (ABDC - A)

Working Papers

• "When Science Feels Like Math: Quantitative Questions and the Science Gender Gap" with Tarun Jain [Working paper draft]

Abstract: This paper investigates how math-intensive evaluation drives science gender gaps. Using data from a large standardized exam conducted from grades 3 to 10 in India, we find that boys outperform girls in mathematics in each grade. Girls outperform boys in science in grades 3 to 6 (when around one-twelfth of questions are math-intensive), but underperform in grades 7 to 10 (when approximately one-fifth of questions are math-intensive). The gender gap in science is entirely explained by question type: girls perform comparably to boys on non-quantitative science questions, but underperform on quantitative science questions across all grades. Conditional on previous year performance, girls face a larger penalty from increasing math intensity in subsequent science exams. These findings show that gender differences in science are primarily driven by quantitative skills, and suggest that strengthening foundational math skills and confidence for girls, or reconsidering the math-intensity of science assessments, could reduce gender gaps in science education. Our results offer explanation for the gender-based sorting in higher education and future careers, and could inform the design of interventions to address gender gaps in science.

• "Eyes on the Line: Impact of Monitoring Precision on Performance in Competition" [Job Market Paper - Draft available here]

Abstract: This paper studies how technology-enabled improvements in precision of monitoring impact performance in competitive environments. Using a difference-in-differences framework and match-level data, I evaluate whether the adoption of Electronic Line Calling (ELC) technology, which improved the precision of line calls in tennis, impacted player performance. The main finding is that ELC adoption led to a 6% increase in aces, a 1% increase in servers' point-winning probability, and a 4% reduction in double faults, indicating better performance. Serves are faster and closer to the lines, and rallies are shorter after the introduction of ELC, indicating a shift toward more aggressive play. I present a conceptual framework with risk-averse players to explain how improved precision of monitoring can influence cognitive effort allocation and strategic choices. This study provides empirical evidence for the role of precise monitoring in improving performance, offering insights for firms, policymakers, and organizations overseeing competitive environments using technology.

• "No Change on Review: Video Assistant Referee and the Persistence of Home-team and Domestic-player Advantages in Football"

Abstract: This paper studies how greater objectivity in monitoring affects outcomes that are often attributed to evaluators' discretion. Football offers a useful context for this question, as referees’ judgments directly influence match outcomes. Prior research has documented that home teams and domestic players receive more favorable decisions, often attributed to referee bias. If these advantages stem from such bias, they should weaken once refereeing decisions become more objective. I test this prediction using the staggered adoption of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) across six European leagues and match-level data from 2014 to 2024. VAR was implemented to improve the accuracy of officiating, making it a natural setting to examine whether increased objectivity reduces such disparities. I find no effect of VAR on yellow cards, red cards, or goals for either home versus away teams or domestic versus foreign players. These precisely estimated null results suggest that referee bias is unlikely to be the primary source of these advantages and highlight the need to explore alternative mechanisms.

• "Examining the Role of Leisure and Sports in Life Satisfaction: Across Generations and Across Borders" with Anmol Basant and Vishal Gupta. Revise & Resubmit at Leisure Sciences (ABDC - A)

Work-in-Progress

• "Playing by the Rules: Impact of Penalty and Role of Status and Rivalry" with Pramendra Singh Tank and Sai Chittaranjan Kalubandi

• "Impact of AI and Robotics Training in Public Secondary Schools" with Oindrila Chatterjee and Tarun Jain

• "Why Do Kids Learn English? Culture, Economy, and the Geography of Learning in India" with Tarun Jain

• "Task Characteristics, Emotional Affect, and Charitable Giving" with Jeevant Rampal, Abhishek Mundhra, and Praneel Jain

• Prof. Tarun Jain (Professor, Economics, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad), Email: tarunj@iima.ac.in

• Prof. Pritha Dev (Associate Professor, Economics, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad), Email: pritha@iima.ac.in

• Prof. Pushkar Maitra (Professor, Economics, Monash University), Email: pushkar.maitra@monash.edu