Rohini Somanathan

Rohini Somanathan is Professor of Economics at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. She is an active researcher affiliated with the International Growth Centre (IGC), where she leads multiple policy-relevant research projects focused on development, public economics, and political economy in India.

Her research interests include development economics, public economics, political economy, caste and group inequality, racial segregation, poverty measurement, environmental policy, food security, and urban air quality. Her work often explores how public institutions and community behavior shape mobility and inequality, with comparative insights from India and the United States.

The trends in her recent publications highlight a strong focus on policy evaluation, particularly in the areas of air pollution regulation, food and agricultural policy, targeted welfare transfers, and the integration of public goods into poverty metrics. Her research combines empirical rigor with real-world policy implications, especially for marginalized communities such as Mahadalits in Bihar.

She has collaborated extensively with researchers including Parikshit Ghosh, Hemanshu Kumar, Anders Kjelsrud, and Farzana Afridi. Her work includes working papers, policy briefs, project reports, and conference presentations, indicating active engagement with both academic and policy audiences.

Rohini Somanathan advises on key development issues through projects funded by IGC, covering topics such as clean fuel adoption, land rights, education quality, and nutrition. These projects often involve fieldwork in rural and urban India, particularly in Bihar and Kolkata.

She is associated with research teams at the Delhi School of Economics and collaborates with national and international scholars. Her work contributes to shaping evidence-based policies in development and public economics.