Unlocking the Potential for Future India-UK Trade and Development [ESRC, UK]
This is a 3-year project that will run from 2021-24, in partnership with the UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO) at University of Sussex, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), and the Centre for Development economics at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE). The research is aimed at understanding which factors stimulate or hamper trade relations between the UK and India through analysis at various levels – generating macro and micro evidence on effects, considering not just the trade flows generated or inhibited, but also likely effects on development outcomes – skills, jobs, and poverty, focusing on mutually beneficial partnerships for effective development. We also intend to contribute to policy and practice of designing a future strengthened UK-India relationship by engaging policy makers and industry associations early on with the research, as well as and inviting them to review and discuss findings and lessons, as we also aim to analyse the realities of implementing the findings.
Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) [DFID, UK]
APRA is a five-year research programme [2016-2021], which builds on more than a decade of research and policy engagement work by the Future Agricultures Consortium. The aim of the project is to produce new information and insights into different pathways to agricultural commercialisation in order to assess their impacts and outcomes on rural poverty, empowerment of women and girls, and food and nutrition security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Operating across three complimentary work streams, we work in six focal countries, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Pathways to economic development through South-South Trade, Investment and Knowledge Exchange [International Trade Centre, Geneva]
The project [2018-2020] drew lessons for south-south cooperation towards creating employment and income opportunities in the Global South through the promotion of trade and investment partnerships, generating knowledge transfer and exchange, and setting the ground for sustainable economic development.
Compliance of Edible Oil and Salt Fortification with National Program Standards in Bangladesh [Global Alliance for Improving Nutrition]
I led the study that conducted exploratory research [2018-2020] on firm behaviour in salt and edible value chains in Bangladesh, focusing on compliance and monitoring of fortification.
Pathways to Inclusive Development through Innovation, Technology and Change [IDRC, Canada] – 2016
Traditional theories of economic development consider trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as the main channels for international technology transfer to occur, building up the stock of knowledge and technology of local manufacturing firms in developing countries. While these elements are undoubtedly important, a more holistic understanding is needed of the pathways through which innovation (in product, process, organisation and market) contributes to economic development, and the implications for poverty and inequality. In exploring how to exploit innovation to lead to both structural change and economic inclusion, or “inclusive structural change”, this unique collaboration between IDS and the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) aims to provide a better understanding of innovation pathways that ensure autonomous, sustainable and inclusive growth, along with poverty reduction at scale.