Legacy of a polymath

On November 1, 2024, India lost a patriot, an economic thinker, and its foremost translator who brought ancient texts to contemporary readers. Bibek Debroy, a distinguished economist and scholar, passed away at the age of 69. As Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council since 2017, he played a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic policies. Beyond his contributions to economics, Debroy was renowned for his translations of classical Sanskrit texts, including the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, making these epics accessible to modern audiences. Notably, he was among the few individuals globally to have translated both the unabridged Mahabharata and Ramayana into English.

With the passing of Dr. Bibek Debroy, NDTV lost a columnist, and I lost a mentor, a co-author, and a guiding light. For years, we worked together on a column covering a spectrum of economic and geopolitical issues. Yet, Dr. Debroy was far more than just a mentor—he was my Guru in the truest sense, a teacher who imparted wisdom and instilled in me the art of writing with clarity and precision. When we first met in March 2020, at the peak of the COVID era, I had no idea how transformative that relationship would be. Since that day, he took it upon himself to teach me something new every day, from nuanced economic perspectives to the art of distilling complex ideas into lucid prose. His encouragement and insights remain invaluable, guiding me forward even in his absence.

In policy circles, especially within the government, the practice of co-authoring documents or articles is rare, often constrained by hierarchical and procedural norms that prioritise individual accountability and prevent collaborative authorship. This culture typically limits the scope for joint intellectual contributions, especially in public-facing work or published pieces. However, Dr. Bibek Debroy was a remarkable exception to this norm. He actively encouraged every member of his team to write and co-author, breaking from the traditional approach. He often reminded us that writing forces one to confront assumptions, refine arguments, and develop a structured narrative—a practice essential for meaningful policy work. Under his mentorship, we felt empowered to contribute our perspectives and insights, regardless of our formal roles.

Even in the Cardiac Care Unit at AIIMS, he remained remarkably dedicated, personally signing each file to prevent any disruptions in the work of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. His illness did not hinder his commitment; he continued to generate fresh ideas for policy reforms, brainstorming from his hospital bed with the same fervour he showed in the office. He even interviewed new Young Professionals and consultants from hospital through a VC.

I recently went through his detailed CV, and it’s astounding how much he accomplished within a single lifetime. Dr. Bibek Debroy’s extensive body of work includes over 140 books, 501 academic papers, and 3,370 newspaper columns, covering a wide range of subjects from economics and trade policy to law and Indian cultural texts. His early works, such as Income Inequality in East Europe and China’s External Trade Since the Reforms, focus on socialist economies and provide in-depth analyses of global economic changes. In the 1990s, he shifted to trade-related topics, producing influential works on India’s integration into global markets, including The Convertible Rupee and Beyond the Uruguay Round. His work on India’s trade and economic freedom, such as Economic Freedom for States of India with Laveesh Bhandari, evaluated the developmental and policy variations across Indian states.

Dr. Debroy’s work in law and Indology further reflects his versatility. His legal texts, including In the Dock – Absurdities of Indian Law and Judicial Reforms in India, offer critiques and reform recommendations within India’s legal landscape. His translations of classical Indian literature, such as the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavata Purana, made sacred texts accessible to modern audiences, preserving their philosophical depth. His translation of The Bhagavad Gita for Millennials and contributions on topics like Indian mythology provided contemporary interpretations of ancient wisdom.

Dr. Bibek Debroy’s extensive career spans academia, government advisory, policy, and public intellectual discourse, contributing significantly to economic thought and policy in India. He began as a Lecturer at Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, in 1976, followed by tutoring at Cambridge colleges, including Trinity and King’s, from 1976 to 1979. Returning to India, he served as a Research Associate at Presidency College, Calcutta (1979–1983), and concurrently as a part-time lecturer at the University of Burdwan (1982–1983). In 1983, he joined the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, University of Poona, as a Reader in Economics at the Centre for the Study of East European Economies, where he worked until 1987.

In 1987, Dr. Debroy joined the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) as a professor, where he influenced economic studies and thought until 1993. During the 1990s, he took on key policy advisory roles, including consulting for the Ministry of Finance (1994–1995) and leading the LARGE (Legal Adjustments and Reforms for Globalising the Economy) project at the National Law School of India University from 1993 to 1998, aligning India’s economic policies with global standards. Around this time, he served as Consulting Editor for Business Standard (1995–2001) and Financial Express (2001–2004), bringing economic analysis to a broader audience.

From 1997 to 2005, he directed the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, guiding research and advocacy on economic and social issues. His role on the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (2004–2010) and as a member of various advisory councils further expanded his policy influence. Dr. Debroy blended academia with policy work, becoming a Research Professor at the Centre for Policy Research (2007–2015) and serving as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore.

His contributions in government advisory continued with high-profile roles in state-level councils, such as the Chief Minister’s Economic Advisory Council in Rajasthan (2014–2015), and he chaired the High Powered Committee for Restructuring the Railways (2014–2015). In 2015, he was appointed a member of NITI Aayog, and in 2017, he became Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.

Dr. Debroy’s influence in academia persisted with leadership roles as President of the Indian Statistical Institute (2018–2022) and as Chancellor of both Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.

In losing Dr. Bibek Debroy, we bid farewell to a towering intellect, a tireless patriot, and an exceptional mentor to many, including myself. In his last column for IE/FE, Dr. Debroy pondered the transience of his own contributions, suggesting that his passing would leave no permanent void—that time would heal all and that his departure would be only a private loss for those closest to him. But he was mistaken; it is a permanent loss for all who had the privilege to learn from him.

The writer is OSD, Research, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Views expressed are personal