Dr. Balakrushna Padhi

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Dr. Balakrushna Padhi currently serves as an Assistant Professor (13A1) in the Department of Economics and Finance at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani Campus, Rajasthan. His research interests span diverse yet interconnected domains in applied and development economics, including labour economics, employment dynamics, the gig and platform economy, internal migration, female labour force participation, informality, and the socio-economic dimensions of poverty, inequality, and health. In January 2025, he received the prestigious L. K. Deshpande Labour Economist Award from the Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) at the 65th conference, organised by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru, and the Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka. He also collaborated with NITI Aayog on its pioneering national study of India’s booming platform and gig economy and contributed to the UNFPA’s report on internal migration challenges in India.

He earned his Ph.D. from the Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, following an M.Phil. in Applied Economics from the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum, and a Master’s in Economics from Sambalpur University, Odisha. His academic trajectory is distinguished by extensive research and policy-oriented experience across reputed national institutions, including the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), New Delhi; the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum; the Centre for Excellence in Fiscal Policy and Taxation (CEFT), Bhubaneswar; and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore, where he has held positions such as Economist, Research Assistant, and Consultant.

An accomplished, data-driven development economist, Dr. Padhi specialises in analysing large-scale survey datasets, including NSSO, NFHS, IHDS, ASI, and CMIE, among others. He leverages a broad suite of analytical tools, including STATA, R, and SPSS, to derive policy-relevant insights. His research has been published in leading national and international journals, including Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Social Indicators Research, Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Journal of Economic Studies, Feminist Economist, and Economic and Political Weekly. He has also led and participated in several sponsored research projects funded by organisations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), NITI Aayog, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), among others. His research consistently emphasises labour market transitions, informal sector dynamics, and policy evaluation, contributing meaningfully to both academic literature and public policy discourse.

Education

Ph.D. - Economics (2014-20): Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India

M.Phil. -Applied Economics (2011-13): Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum, Kerala (Affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), India

MA - Economics (2008-10): Department of Economics, Sambalpur University, Odisha, India

Social Media Profile

Profile Page: https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/pilani/balakrushna-padhi/

IRINS: https://bits-pilani.irins.org/profile/228393

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=1t7DnywAAAAJ&hl=en

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57213273842

Web of Science: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/2396854

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7350-1349

LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/balakrushna-padhi-0b413472

Media Coverage