Research

Working Papers

• Community Networks and Trade (with J. Boken, T.K Nandi and M. Santamaria)

Revise & resubmit, Journal of the European Economic Association

• Taxation and Supplier Networks: Evidence from India (with T. K. Nandi and R. Rathelot) 

Revise & resubmit, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

Non technical summaries:  Ideas For India, VoxDev, Vox.eu, Policy brief (IGC), Video (TaxDev). 

• The Form of Transfers: In-kind, Cash, or Vouchers? (with M. Singhal) 

Invited for the Handbook on Social Protection (editors R. Hanna and B. Olken)

Publications

• In-Kind Transfers as Insurance (with S. Norris, M. Singhal and S. Sukhtankar) 

Forthcoming,  American Economic Review 

Non technical summaries: VoxDev, Ideas For India 

• The Equity of Tax Systems in Low and Middle Income Countries (with P. Bachas and A. Jensen)

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2024, Vol 38 (1).

• Informality, Consumption Taxes and Redistribution (with P. Bachas and A. Jensen)

Review of Economic Studies, 2023

Supplementary Material, Replication Code. Non technical summaries: VoxDev, World Bank blog 

• Does Going Cashless Make You Tax-Rich? Evidence from India's Demonetization Experiment (with S. Das, T. K.Nandi and R. Warwick) 

Journal of Public Economics, 2023, Vol 224. 

Non technical summaries: VoxDev, Ideas for India.

• Can Rationing Increase Welfare? Theory and an Application to India's Ration Shop System 

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2020, Vol 12 (4). 

Online Appendix, Replication code & data, CEPR WP (long version)

• Tax Revenues and the Fiscal Cost of Trade Liberalization, 1792-2006 (with J. Cage) 

Explorations in Economic History, 2018, Vol. 70 . 

Online Appendix, Data & replication code, CEPR WP (long version),  Non technical summary: TradeTalks podcast.

• Tax Me, But Spend Wisely? Sources of Public Finance and Government Accountability  

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2017, Vol 9 (1).

Online Appendix, Data & replication code, Non technical summary Video VoxDev 

• Decentralization in Developing Economies (with M. Singhal)

Annual Review of Economics, 2014 . 

NBER Working Paper Version

• A Tale of Procyclicality, Aid Flows and Debt : Government Spending in Sub-Saharan Africa (with V. Lledo and I. Yackovlev) 

Journal of African Economies, 2011, Vol 20 (5)  

IMF Working Paper Version 

Policy briefs and reports

ODI Briefing Paper, May 2020 'Mobilising revenue: opportunities for lower-income countries during the pandemic'

IGC Policy Brief, Aug 2019  'Do taxes affect firm-to-firm trade? Evidence from India'

IFS Briefing Notes, 2018 'The impact of VAT and turnover taxes on firms’ supply chain choices: evidence from India'

IFS Briefing Note, 2017 'VAT and simplified tax schemes'

IGC Policy Report, Nov 2016  'Local resource mobilization: key principles and options for reform' 

Misc

Slides for my  Keynote Lecture 'Public  Finance in  Developing Countries', IIPF  Congress 2022