Background
Desai, Padma was born on October 12, 1931 in Surat, Gujerat, India. Son of Kalidas L. and Shanta (Desai) Desai. came to the United States, 1968.
economist educator political scientist
Desai, Padma was born on October 12, 1931 in Surat, Gujerat, India. Son of Kalidas L. and Shanta (Desai) Desai. came to the United States, 1968.
Master of Arts, Bombay University, India, 1953. Doctor of Philosophy, Harvard University, 1960.
She is the Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of Comparative economic systems and director of the Center for Transition Economies (1999–present), at the Columbia University. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2009. Born and brought up in a traditional Gujarati Anavil Brahmin family in Surat, Gujarat.
She did her Bachelor of Arts (Economics) in 1951 from the University of Mumbai, followed by an Master of Arts (Economics) also from the same university in 1953.
Desai started her career at the Department of Economic, Harvard (1957-1959), after which she was associate professor of economics at Delhi School of Economics at University of Delhi, from 1959 to 1968. In November 1992, she joined as the Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of Comparative Economic Systems at Columbia University and went on to become the director of the Center for Transition Economies at the University.
Later remained United States. Treasury’s advisor to the Russian Finance Ministry in the summer of 1995. She was president of the Association for Comparative Economic Studies in 2001.
She published her memoir, Breaking Out: An Indian Woman"s American Journey in 2012.
Member American Economics Association.
Son of Kalidas L. and Shanta (Desai) D. M. Jagdish N. Bhagwati. 1 daughter, Anuradha Kristina.