I'll be giving a public lecture on some of my coal history work in Bangalore at Science Gallery Bengaluru on 16 June at 4 pm. Do register and come if interested (link below). carbon.scigalleryblr.org/programmes?p=c…

I am suspicious of this evidence on account of poor price and intermediary inputs’ estimates in the service sector. The usual caveats on India’s statistical ecosystem remain. Having said that, this has critical implications on understanding the trajectory of the Indian Economy.

More evidence on why India needs to be careful with a manufacturing-heavy industrial policy (PLI specifically). There may be pockets of productivity gains in manufacturing, but it can’t be the driver of job creation in the economy.

There are a lot of definitions of the state: one which I really like is its monopoly on inflicting violence of all kinds with impunity. This is violence at so many levels. When a state is captured, you commodify water, the barest of necessities to exist. Hobbes vs. Rousseau?

I grew up watching Tendulkar and never thought a batsman will ever come close to define batting. Then Kohli came and redefined it. Kohli retires from T20 cricket for India with a man of the match performance in a World Cup final. A giant of a man. The best of the best!

This recent IMF (9th July, 2024) working paper has a lot of insights on challenges in facilitating structural transformation in India from a labour productivity/technology frontier vantage. Accessible here: imf.org/-/media/Files/…

This abstract is one of the wildest I have read in a while.

My piece for the Deaton review on inequality: "A Primer on Trade and Inequality" academic.oup.com/ooec/article/3…

Students from the Global South who want to learn more about the relationships between markets, states, societies, and cultures can apply for the Economy & Society Winter School at IIT Bombay. Applications due 4 August. IIT Bombay & IIM Kozhikode npei.in/economy-societ…

New CEPR Discussion Paper - DP19249 Servicing #Development: Productive Upgrading of Labor-Absorbing Services in Developing Economies Dani Rodrik & Rohan Sandhu Harvard University ow.ly/ImI550SF1EM #CEPR_DE #CEPR_MG #economics #production

A great substack on a new book by Yingyao Wang on China and the immense role of bureaucracy in shaping its economic transformation. Worth reading. Key takeaway: Bureaucratic competition can fuel innovations in institutional design of policy making. pekingnology.com/p/markets-with…

A predoc I know from work scored a 339 on his GRE. He took it again and scored a 340. I told him they wouldn’t care if it’s a 339 or 340. He said, “I couldn’t take the chance.” He will be applying to Econ PhD programs for a start next fall. Will post in March where he ends up.

In Global Policy, Marina Zucker-Marques + Kevin P. Gallagher present Sustainable Future Bonds as a timely, viable + safe option for climate + development investment. They argue these bonds could catalyze at least $45 billion/year in fresh capital. Read more: gdpcenter.org/473Poao

I have a career update. My postdoc with the Reimagining the Economy, Harvard Kennedy School has come to an end. It was incredible working with the project but I am moving across the river to the Boston University Global Development Policy Center to collaborate with an amazing team and conduct research on industrial policy and climate finance. More soon.

Recently, came across this brilliant newsletter from Shreyas Shende. I have found it insightful, nuanced, and data-driven to understand India’s economic trajectory. This one in particular on India’s trade policy caught my attention. I look forward to his upcoming newsletters.

This is my latest. A new trilemma on the face of it. But more the result of policy blind spots than of reality.

Imagine the gall to call Amsden, Chang, and Wade "revisionists"

India recently announced an Employment-Linked Incentive Scheme. I have some thoughts. In this article with Reimagining the Economy, Harvard Kennedy School, I point out five key policy issues which need to be prioritised to help unlock its potential for job creation and workforce training. hks.harvard.edu/centers/wiener…

Don't miss tonight's 2024 Stone Lecture in the Forum, "Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity" with MIT Professor Daron Acemoglu & HKS Professor Dani Rodrik! 🎟️ RSVP w/ HUID: ken.sc/forum-0917 Watch livestream: ken.sc/IOP-streams