New Delhi, April 14: Ashoka University, Delhi-NCR, India’s premier institution for interdisciplinary higher education and research, is delighted to share that Kanika Mahajan, Associate Professor of Economics, has been selected for the prestigious Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award 2026 by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust, in recognition of her impactful contributions to development studies. This recognition comes at a significant moment for the Department of Economics at Ashoka University, which has recently been ranked #1 in India by the Research Papers in Economics (RePEc) rankings, reflecting the strength and depth of its research output.
The Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award is conferred annually to a young scholar below the age of 45 for outstanding contributions to development studies. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of INR 1 lakh and is widely regarded as a recognition of impactful research shaping policy and discourse in India’s development landscape. The awardees are selected by a jury of eminent scholars, with the final decision reflecting excellence in research and its contribution to development studies. As part of the honour, Kanika Mahajan will deliver the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Memorial Lecture at the award ceremony scheduled for August 2026.
Kanika Mahajan’s research lies at the intersection of labour economics, firms, and gender, with a strong focus on understanding the structural constraints shaping women’s economic participation in India, as well as firm growth and adaptation in the country. Her widely cited work has examined issues such as declining female labour force participation, wage inequality, and firm adaptation in the face of economic shocks. Her research has been published in leading international journals and has contributed significantly to policy conversations around inclusive growth.
“It is an honour to receive the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award. It is particularly meaningful given the award’s emphasis on research that engages directly with policy and development challenges. Much of my work has focused on understanding the persistent gaps in women’s participation in India’s labour markets, as well as the factors that can sustain employment growth in the country, issues shaped by both structural constraints and evolving economic opportunities. There is still much to uncover, and I hope this recognition draws greater attention to the need for sustained research in these areas, while also encouraging more women to contribute to the field.”, said Kanika Mahajan, Associate Professor of Economics, Ashoka University, Delhi-NCR.
The Department of Economics at Ashoka University has further institutionalised its commitment to data-driven research and public engagement through the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA). CEDA serves as a key platform for enabling informed debate on India’s economic and social landscape by making high-quality data accessible to researchers, policymakers, and the public. Its work spans critical themes such as work and wages, agrarian economy, household economics, and human development, alongside the development of tools like the Economic Enterprise Tracker, which provides integrated insights into India’s formal and informal economy, and publishing of the monthly newsletter, Women and Work, which examines the structures shaping women’s economic realities, mapping women’s participation in the workforce and persistent gaps.
Commenting on the recognition, Ashwini Deshpande, Head of the Department of Economics and Founding Director, Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA), Ashoka University, Delhi-NCR said,
‘Kanika’s recognition is well-deserved and a source of genuine pride for the Economics Department at Ashoka. Her work exemplifies the kind of rigorous, policy-relevant research that we have always believed economics must aspire to. This award is not just a personal milestone — it reflects the intellectual environment we have collectively worked to build, one that takes empirical questions seriously and engages with the world beyond the seminar room.’
“Ashoka University has been building a culture of rigorous, inquiry-driven research that engages meaningfully with real-world challenges. We place a strong emphasis on academic excellence that is both interdisciplinary and socially relevant. The Economics Department exemplifies this approach through its growing body of high-quality, policy-relevant research and its commitment to advancing data-driven public discourse. Kanika Mahajan’s recognition is a testament to this ethos and this honour is both well deserved and deeply encouraging for the wider academic community” stated Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University, Delhi-NCR.
Together, these developments mark a forward looking moment as Ashoka University continues to expand its academic and research pursuits in the years ahead.
