I am an economist working in the areas of urban economics, political economy, and public finance with a focus in India.  


Currently, I am a  Lecturer in Real Estate and Urban Economics at the University of Manchester. Previously, I was a Lecturer at the  Henley Business School in University of Reading. I was Junior Fellow at IDFC Institute — a public policy think tank based in Mumbai — for six years. At IDFC, I worked on issues pertaining to India's urbanisation and affordable housing. 

I was also a Postdoctoral Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, New York.

My papers have been published in Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Regional Science, Environment and Urbanisation, BMJ Open, among others.  My research has been featured in The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Straits Times, Livemint and others. I have featured in two BBC podcasts (here and here) where I discuss the impact of COVID-19 and the future of cities. 

My current work looks at the politician-builder nexus in Mumbai, agglomeration economies in India, and climate change and adaptation across cities in developing countries. 


Get in touch at vaidehi[dot]tandel[at]gmail[dot]com