I am a PHD Candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley(Expected graduation: Summer, 2025), and a Visiting Scholar at Center of Economy and Society, SNF Agora Institute, John Hopkins University 2024-25 . 

My research agenda is broadly focused on how social and economic inequality interact with each other, and how this might lead to sub-optimal institutional, policy and political outcomes in democracies.  Perhaps, as a consequence,  I am interested in the study of countries with high income inequality, including India, United States, Brazil.   Some keywords that fit my research interests are Right-wing politics, Populism, Redistribution, Status, Inequality, Upward Mobility, Democratic Accountability, Democratic Backsliding, the Information environment. 

My dissertation project explores how economically center-right Populists consolidate power in environments of high social and economic inequality,  comparing the cases of India, United States and Brazil. I focus on both top down factors (Populist Strategies and relationship with Institutions) as well as bottom up imperatives (such as why these succeed because of the particular nature of social and economic inequality, business models and institutional configurations in these countries).  I use multimethod research including qualitative interviews, survey experiments, qualitative and quantitative coding of political communication,  observational analysis and elite interviews.

Before the doctoral program at Berkeley, I worked in International Development in South Asia including with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group and with the UK Department for International Development (DFID). I have a Masters in Economics and Public Policy from Princeton University, and a Bachelors in Engineering from NSIT, Delhi University.   

At Berkeley's Political Science Department, I have been a member of the Department's Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as a representative for Women in Political Science (WIPS) for the academic year 2020-21.  I have been a graduate student instructor for undergraduate departmental courses on quantitative research methods, American politics and comparative politics. I am an Associate at the Center on the Politics of Development at Berkeley, and a Fellow for Berkeley's Economy and Society Initiative (BESI).   My dissertation committee includes Paul Pierson, Thad Dunning, Steve Vogel, Jennifer Bussell and Alison Post, and at SNF Agora center, I will be working with Steven Teles.  

I was born and raised in India. Based in Washington DC, and often to be found in Berkeley.  Passionate about social justice, mentoring. In my spare time, I like reading fiction, art, sketching, bodies of water,  and watching too many Bollywood and other international movies with subtitles. I am on the job market in 2024-25, feel free to get in touch to discuss any professional opportunities!