Basic Information

29 Aug 2024-date: Professor, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.

17 Feb 2015-28 Aug 2024: Professor, IGIDR, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (and as Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, IGIDR from 01 Oct 2021 to 31 Sep 2023).

11 Sep 2015-10 Sep 2020: Director, Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, an Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) institute in collaboration with Government of Odisha (under secondment).

13 Mar 2015-29 Jun 2015: ICCR Chair Professor of Indian Studies, National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taipei, Taiwan (under secondment).

12 Sep 2002-16 Feb 2015: Associate Professor/Assistant Professor/Visiting Assistant Professor, IGIDR, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. (and as Convener/Dean of Students Welfare, IGIDR, 12 Jul 2007-9 Oct 2010)

16 Feb 2001-11 Sep 2002: Lecturer in Economics, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Pune, Maharashtra, India.

5 Sep 1997-13 Feb 2001: Research Associate (Lecturer pay scale), NCDS, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. 

PhD (Economics, 1999), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India (through Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram,). Shodhganga link of thesis Micro-processes and Institutions in Tribal Agrarian Economies: A Study of Two Villages in Orissa.

MPhil (Applied Economics, 1994), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India (through Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram). Dissertation: Exchange Relations in an Agrarian Set-up: Case Study of a Tribal Village from Orissa.

MA (Economics, 1991), University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.

BA (Economics (Honours), Statistics, 1989), Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. 

2025: Dr VKRV Rao Fellow Award conferred by The Applied Economics Society. The award was given in recognition of my contributions to the field of economics through research and influence on policy and development. The award was presented on Teacher's Day (5 Sep 2025), International Conference on Sustainability and Economic Growth Amid Global Uncertainty, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa, 5–6 Sep 2025.

2021: Cambridge University Vice Chancellor’s Collaborative Award Winner to TIGR2ESS (Transforming India’s Green Revolution by Research for Empowerment and Sustainable food Supplies), a Global Challenge Research Fund grant to the University of Cambridge, in which I was a Co-Investigator. The award was given for research impact and engagement in providing sustainable solutions to Indian agriculture.

2016: International Guest Scholar, Meiji University, Japan, Jun 2016.

2014: Subir Chowdhury Fellow on Quality and Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Jan-Apr 2014.

2011: International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) with focus on Food Security and Sustainable Development, US Department of State, May 2011.

Member, Technical Advisory Group, for the research titled “Enabling Inclusive, Climate-Resilient Transitions in India: A Focus on Climate Change and Gender” being undertaken by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), from 2 Aug 2025-date.

Member, Technical Expert Group, Household Income Survey, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, from 5 Mar 2025 for a period of two-and-a-half years. First Press Release.

Member, Action Lab on Policy and Institutions, The Coalition for Food Systems Transformation in India (COFTI), from 10 Feb 2025-date.

Subject Matter Specialist, Competitive Research Grant on Natural Farming, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (ICAR-IIFSR, Modipuram), from 27 Jun 2025, for evaluating the first-ever call for competitive research grants on natural farming under the National Mission for Natural Farming, Government of India.

Permanent Invitee, Coordinator of Drafting committee, and Member of two regional sub-groups (Western/Central region and Eastern/North-eastern region) for the Expert Group on Agricultural Indebtedness, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Aug 2006-Jul 2007, Chair: R. Radhakrishna. Link to the Report of the Expert Group on Agricultural Indebtedness.

Member, Task Force on Credit Related Issues of Farmers, (also a member of its Drafting Committee and Eastern Sub-group) Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, 6 Oct 2009 to 30 Jun 2010, Chair: Umesh Sarangi. Link to the Report of the Task Force on Credit Related Issues of Farmers.

Member, Committee on Unorganised Sector, National Statistical Commission, Government of India, 1 Aug 2010 to 28 Feb 2012, Chair: R Radhakrishna. Link to the Report of the Committee on Unorganised Sector.

Member, Working Group to Suggest Measures to Assist Distressed Farmers, Reserved Bank of India, 18 May 2006 to 14 Nov 2006, Chair Sardara Singh Johl. Link to the Report of Working Group to Suggest Measures to Assist Distressed Farmers.

Editorial Board Member: New Springer Monograph Series, New Frontiers in Regional Science: Asian Perspectives. 

Life Member, Association of Indian Economic and Financial Studies (AIEFS, US Based, affiliate of Allied Social Science Associations, ASSA) 

Life Member, Global Knowledge Forum (GKF) 

Life Member, Indian Economic Association (IEA)

Life Member, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics (ISAE)

Life Member, Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing (ISAM)

Life Member, Indian Society of Ecological Economics (INSEE)

Life Member, Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE)

Life Member, Odisha Economic Association (OEA)

Life Member, The Applied Economics Society (TAES)

Life Member, The Indian Econometric Society (TIES)