Bibek Debroy, chairman of PM’s economic advisory council and top economist, passes away at 69

Bibek Debroy, noted economist and chairman of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic advisory council, died at the age of 69 on Friday.

Debroy, widely recognised for his contribution to the Indian economy, has played a primary role in shaping Indian economic policies. Expressing grief over Debroy’s death, PM Modi on his official X handle said, “Bibek Debroy Ji was a towering scholar, well-versed in diverse domains like economics, history, culture, politics, spirituality and more. Through his works, he left an indelible mark on India’s intellectual landscape. Beyond his contributions to public policy, he enjoyed working on our ancient texts, making them accessible to the youth.”

Debroy, a recipient of the Padma Shri, served as chancellor of Pune’s Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and was a member of the NITI Aayog until June 5, 2019. He authored and edited several books and articles, and contributed as an editor for multiple newspapers.

With expertise in macroeconomics and public finance, Debroy wrote widely on subjects such as economic reform, governance, and railways. He was also known for his translations of classical Sanskrit texts, including the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.

He began his academic career at Presidency College in Kolkata from 1979 to 1984. He then joined the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune, where he worked until 1987, followed by a position at the Institute of Foreign Trade in Delhi until 1993.

In 1993, Debroy became the director of a Ministry of Finance and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project focused on legal reforms, a role he held until 1998. He served briefly with the Department of Economic Affairs from 1994 to 1995, then with the National Council of Applied Economic Research from 1995 to 1996, and at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies from 1997 to 2005.

He later worked with the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry until 2006 and then joined the Centre for Policy Research, remaining there from 2007 to 2015.