New Delhi: Veteran economist and prolific author Bibek Debroy passed away on Friday, November 1, at the age of 69. Known for his profound contributions to economic policy and research in India, Debroy’s work shaped many aspects of the country’s economic landscape.
Debroy was the chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, a role he had held since 2017, and he also led the Finance Ministry’s expert committee on infrastructure financing for Amrit Kaal. Born in Shillong, Meghalaya, in 1955, Debroy was a distinguished scholar with academic roots in Presidency College, Kolkata, Delhi School of Economics, and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Throughout his career, Debroy held numerous prestigious positions, including a founding role at NITI Aayog, India’s premier policy think tank, from 2015 to 2019. He contributed as a consulting editor to several top financial publications and was honored with the Padma Shri award in 2015, as well as multiple honorary degrees for his work in economics and public policy.
Debroy’s work spanned a range of areas, including game theory, poverty, legal reforms, railway restructuring, and Indian philosophy. He authored a wealth of publications, notably a ten-volume translation of the Mahabharata, celebrated for its accessibility and scholarly rigor.
Recently, Debroy stepped down as chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics amid a controversy involving the institute’s vice-chancellor. His contributions leave a lasting legacy in Indian economic thought and public policy.
