Launched in 1973, the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning (CESP) has established itself as a premier centre for teaching and research in Economics. 

The Centre came into being, under the able leadership of an institution builder par excellence —the Late Prof Krishna Bharadwaj, as a centre with six faculty members with a vision to create a niche for itself by linking economic theory with historical experience and empirical observation, all sitting in harmony with and learning from each other. 

Since then, it has come a long way in becoming one of the premier economic departments in the country (as well as internationally). It is in this spirit of an intersection between theory and empirics that the theme of this conference has been decided as "Indian Economy: Challenges and Opportunities", reflecting both the complexities and the potential growth pathways facing the nation today.