/connect-gujarat-english/media/media_files/2025/07/30/img_5902-2025-07-30-13-28-49.jpeg)
Follow Us
Lord Meghnad Desai (1940-2025) — a rebel economist, a fearless thinker, and a global voice of reason passed away on Tuesday. From Baroda to Berkeley, from Marx to monetary policy, his legacy stretches across continents, ideas, and generations.
Desai was a globally respected Indian-British economist, academic, and political thinker whose career spanned over six decades and three continents.
Born in Baroda (now Vadodara), he moved to Mumbai before pursuing higher education in the United States, earning a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
His time at UC Berkeley during the student protests of the late 1960s deeply shaped his political and intellectual worldview, moving him toward the Left.
Desai joined the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1965, where he taught until 2003, rising to become Professor Emeritus.
He was known for his work in Marxian economics, political economy, and economic history, and for founding LSE’s Centre for the Study of Global Governance.
A prolific writer, he authored eight books and published over 200 academic papers, while also contributing columns to Indian and British publications.
Desai was one of the architects of the Human Development Index (HDI), a groundbreaking tool that redefined how we measure human progress beyond GDP.
In 1991, he was elevated to the British House of Lords as Lord Desai, contributing to Labour Party economic policy while often challenging its leadership with his independent thinking.
In India, he founded the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics in Mumbai to train the next generation of economists.
Though known for his rebellious intellect, Desai remained a committed public servant and global citizen, embracing India, the US, and the UK as his homes.