Dr Namrata Thapa holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum. Prior to joining BIMTECH, she held key roles at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, initially as a junior consultant and later as a senior research analyst. Her broad research interests include Development Economics, Innovation Studies, Agriculture and Rural Development, Gender Economics. Her teaching interests include microeconomics, macroeconomics, economic development and policy, economics of technological change, business environment, institutional economics. She has published in peer-reviewed academic journals and edited volumes and has presented her research work at conferences in India as well as abroad.

• PhD in Economics, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Thesis title: “Institutions, Innovations and Inclusive Development: A Study of Select Plantation Crops in India”, June 2018.
• Phil in Applied Economics, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dissertation title: “Growth, Structure and Labour Market Outcomes: A Study of India’s Tea Plantation Sector”, August 2011.
• UGC-NET qualified, June 2012
• A in Economics, University of North Bengal, West Bengal, 2006

Research interests

• Development Economics, Innovation Studies, Plantation Agriculture, Agriculture and rural development, Gender Economics.
• Teaching interests
• Micro Economics, macroeconomics, economic development and policy, economics of technological change, business environment, institutional economics

Micro Economics, Macro Economics, Business Environment

• Senior research analyst from 23 December 2019 to 11 January 2024 in the Agricultural Economics Research Unit at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi with Prof C.S.C Sekhar.
• Junior consultant from 11 April 2018 to 30 November 2019 in an ICSSR project titled ‘Risks, returns and resilience: A multi-disciplinary approach to climate change and agriculture’, at the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi with Prof Amita Baviskar, Prof Purnamita Dasgupta, Prof C.S.C Sekhar.
• Programme associate from November 2017 to March 2018 with the National Research Programme on Plantation Development (NRPPD) sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala.

• Received Indian Council of Social Science Research Institutional Doctoral Fellowship from January
• Received fellowship (from August 2009 till December 2010) during the Phil programme at Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
• Received 2006 University Gold Medal for securing first class with distinction in A (Economics) from North Bengal University, West Bengal, India.
• Received 2004 University Silver Medal for securing first class second in A (Economics) from Siliguri College, North Bengal University, West Bengal, India.

• ‘Risks, returns and resilience: A multi-disciplinary approach to climate change and agriculture’, report submitted to Indian Council of Social Science Research, November Engaged as junior consultant.
• ‘Political economy analysis of water governance in Delhi’, report submitted to The Asia Foundation, December Provided research inputs to Prof Mahendra P Lama, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
• ‘Agricultural market imperfections and farm profitability’, report submitted to Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, June Engaged as Senior Research Analyst.
• ‘Identification of nodal markets for price monitoring’, report submitted to Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, March 2022. Engaged as Senior Research

Papers in journals

• Thapa, Namrata (2013), “Inclusive Growth and Institutions: An Analysis of Employment Structure of India’s Tea Plantation Sector”, African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 5:3, 264-277.

https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2013.817045 (Scopus indexed)

• Joseph, K.J, Thapa, N and Wicken, O (2018), “Innovation and natural resource-based development: case of natural rubber sector in Kerala, India”, Innovation and Development, 8: 1, 125-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/2157930X.2018.1427195 (Scopus indexed)
• Thapa, N (2021), “Forms of exclusion in the innovation process- An analysis of access to formal Organizations by small plantation growers in India”, Innovation and Development, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/2157930X.2021.1972512 (Scopus indexed)
• Saha, R, Thapa, N, and Lama, L (2022), “Social inequalities and inherent disadvantages in asset holding among Indian women, International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 4: 4, 339-359. DOI: 1504/IJGSDS.2022.10048851
• Sekhar, S.C, Thapa, N and Bhatt, Y (2022), “Identification of nodal markets for monitoring the prices of perishables”, Agricultural Situation in India, Vol LXXIX, October 2022, No-7: 33-46.
• Sekhar, C.S.C and Thapa, N (2023), “Rural market imperfections in India: revisiting old debate with new evidence”, Development Policy Review, published online on 13^th April, Vol 41, issue 5. https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12708 ABDC ranking – ‘B’
• Sekhar, C.S.C and Thapa, N (2023), “Food price dynamics during the pandemic”, The Indian Economic Journal, Sage, published online on 11^th September, https://doi.org/10.1177/00194662231187955 ABDC ranking – ‘B’
• Saha, R, Lama, L and Thapa, N (2023 accepted), “Gendered household responsibilities in COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from India”, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, on 5^th October, ABDC ranking – ‘C’
• Lama, L, Thapa, N and Saha, R (2023 accepted), “Building resilience: Lessons from Indian domestic tourism during the pandemic”, Empirical Economics Letters, on 22^nd December, 2023, ABDC ranking – ‘C’
• Sekhar, C.S.C and Thapa, N (2023 revised & resubmitted), “Experimental approach to Development Economics: A review of issues and options”, Journal of Economic Methodology, on 8^th March, 2023. ABDC ranking – ‘B’

Working papers/discussion papers

• Thapa, Namrata (2012), “Employment Status and Human Development of Tea Plantation Workers in West Bengal”, Discussion Paper No.11, National Research Programme on Plantation Development, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Joseph J and Thapa, N (2015), “Towards Evolving a more Effective R&D and Extension System in Tea: A Preliminary Exploration of North India”, Discussion Paper No.40, National Research Programme on Plantation Development, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Sekhar, S.C and Thapa, N (2021), “Agricultural market imperfections and farm profitability in India”, IEG working paper no. 440. Institute of Economic Growth. http://iegindia.org/upload/profile_publication/doc-090921_110139WP440.pdf
• Sekhar, S.C, Bhatt, Y and Thapa, N (2022), “Identification of nodal agricultural markets for price monitoring”, IEG working paper no. 456. Institute of Economic Growth. https://iegindia.org/upload/publication/Workpap/WP456.pdf

Book chapters

• Thapa, Namrata (2016), “Employment Status and Human Development of Tea Plantation Workers in West Bengal” in Joseph, K.J and Viswanathan, P.K (eds), “Globalisation, Inclusive Development and Plantation Labour in India”, 82-108. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315620510
• Thapa, N and Joseph, K. J (2019), “Interactive Learning, Innovation and Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Natural Rubber and Tea” in Singh, Lakhwinder and Gill, Anita (eds), “Agriculture Innovation Systems in Asia: Towards Inclusive Rural Development”, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429264092
• Thapa, N, Saha, R and Lama, L (2021), “Exploring the nutritional status across the Indian states” in Walter Leal Filho et (eds), “Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger”, Chapter 125-1. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69626-3_125-1

Reviewer of  1) African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development; 2) Innovation and Development; 3) Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics

• Participated in “Summer School in Development Economics” organized by Azim Premji University and the Institute for New Economic Thinking during July 9-15, 2012 held at Azim Premji University, Bangalore
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Employment Status and Human Development of Tea Plantation Workers in West Bengal”, in the Young Scholars’ Seminar during March 12-13, 2012 held at Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Employment Status and Human Development of Tea Plantation Workers in West Bengal”, in a seminar on “Building Competitiveness in Globalised Era– Experience of India’s Plantation Sector” during January 23-24, 2012 held at Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Inclusive Growth and Institutions: An Analysis of Employment Structure of India’s Tea Plantation Sector”, in 10^th GLOBELICS International Conference on “Innovation and Development: Opportunities and Challenges in Globalisation” held at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, November 9-11,
• Participated in the Silver Jubilee International Conference on “Development: Successes and Challenges- Achieving Economic, Social and Sustainable Progress” held at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, December 1-3, 2012.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Bypassing the resource curse: Case of learning, innovation and competence building in natural rubber, Kerala, India”, in 12^th GLOBELICS International Conference on “Partnership for Innovation based Development”, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 29-31, 2014.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Innovations and Institutions: An Evolutionary Perspective on Natural Rubber and Tea Plantations” in the workshop on “Emerging Issues in India’s Plantation Sector” organised by the National Research Programme on Plantation Development during 31^st March-1^st April, 2014 held at Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Interactive Learning, Innovation and Its Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis of the Research Institute-Grower Interaction in R&D and Extension in Tea and Natural Rubber” in 2^nd Indialics International Conference on “Systems of Innovation for Inclusive Agriculture and Rural Development, Punjabi University, Patiala, July 28-29, 2015.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Forms of Exclusion/Inclusion in the Innovation System – A Comparative Analysis of Access of Small Growers to Formal Institutional Arrangements in Tea and Natural Rubber” in the Third Indialics International Conference on “Innovation and Sustainable Development”, CDS, Trivandrum, 16-18 March
• Participated in Indialics Training Programme on “Research Issues and Methods in Innovation Systems and Sustainable Development”, 14-20 March, 2016 at Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Interaction of small growers with information sources and factors affecting their choice: case of dissemination of knowledge in plantation crops in India”, in GLOBELICS ACADEMY 2016, The 11^th International PhD School on Innovation and Development, organized by Institute for Economic Research on Innovation, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa, 20 June – 2 July, 2016
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Interactive learning and innovation: an analysis of R&D and extension in north Indian tea”, in the 14^th GLOBELICS international conference on “Innovation, Creativity and Development: Strategies for Inclusiveness and Sustainability”, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bangdung, Indonesia, October 12^th-14^th
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Interaction of small growers with formal and informal institutional arrangements: case of dissemination of knowledge in tea and natural rubber”, in the 15^th GLOBELICS international conference on “Innovation and capacity building in the context of financialisation and uneven development of the global economy: New roles for the state, productive sector, and social actors”, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece, October 11^th-13^th, 2017.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Interaction of small growers with formal and informal institutional arrangements: case of dissemination of knowledge in tea and natural rubber”, in the 4^th IndiaLics International Conference on “Innovation for sustainable development: perspectives, policies and practices in South Asia”, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Nov 2^nd – 4^th, 2017.
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Forms of Exclusion/Inclusion in the Innovation System – An Analysis of Access of Small Growers to Formal Institutional Arrangements in Tea and Natural Rubber Plantations in India” in the 16^th GLOBELICS international conference on “Innovation, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: Strengthening Institutions for Greater Relevance, Effectiveness and Inclusivity”, Accra, Ghana, 24-26 October
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Forms of exclusion in innovation process- An analysis of access to formal organisations by small growers in tea and natural rubber plantations in India” in the 4^th AfricaLics International Conference on “Innovation and transformative capacities for growth and sustainable development in Africa”, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 22-24 October
• Participated in three days’ workshop on “Understanding developmental impacts of dams: Ex-post and ex-ante analysis” organized by Institute of Economic Growth and University of Manchester at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, 15-17 January
• Participated and presented a paper titled “Whither Development Economics? Putting the cart before the horse!” with Prof C.S.C Sekhar in an online workshop for Review of Development Economics special issue: Money, methods and morals: What are Development Economists up to? April 1 and April 8, 2022.
• Participated in two days’ workshop on ‘Agro-Economic Research Capacity Building’ organized by Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA), Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India at IIMA, 4-5 January 2024.

Banerjee, Subrato and Thapa, Namrata (2019), “Can farming be a career choice?” 25^th November, 2019. https://www.financialexpress.com/jobs/can-farming-be-a-career- choice/1773845/

Member of Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems from 2^nd June, 2017