Economist and Chairman of PM's Economic Advisory, Bibek Debroy passes away

'He left an indelible mark on India’s intellectual landscape,' wrote PM Narendra Modi in a tweet addressing Debroy's passing

by e4m Desk
Published: Nov 2, 2024 8:12 AM | 2 min read

Noted economist Bibek Debroy, the Chairman of PM Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), has passed away at age 69. He was reportedly suffering from heart-related ailments.

Debroy was an instrumental figure in designing India’s economic strategies of the recent past. He was also the Chairman of the Finance Ministry's 'Expert Committee for Infrastructure Classification and Financing Framework for Amrit Kaal.

The PM expressed his sorrow at Debroy’s passing with a tweet: “Dr. 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.”

The economist provided his insights on various issues such as fiscal policy, law reforms, railway reforms, employment, macroeconomic issues, public sector management, poverty and indology among other things. He was known for his views on game theory.

Debroy was also an accomplished translator who worked on the unabridged version of the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, the Harivamsa, the Vedas and Valmiki's Ramayana, translating them into English.

He has previously held positions such as the Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, Consultant to the Department of Economic Affairs of Finance Ministry and Secretary-General of PhD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.