IIT Delhi - Abu Dhabi
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Research Areas

Labour Industrial Policy Indian Economy International Economy Macroeconomic Theory

Biosketch

Jayan Jose Thomas is a Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he has been employed since 2010. Jayan also served as a Member of the State Planning Board of the Government of Kerala (2016 to 2021). His research focuses on various development issues, mainly labour, industrialization, and the macroeconomy. He teaches courses on macroeconomic theory, the Indian economy, political economy of development, and international economics.

Jayan completed his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in development economics from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai, and holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Kerala University. His previous academic positions include a four-year-long stint with the National University of Singapore. Jayan’s research papers have appeared in reputed journals, including World Development, Development and Change, and Economic and Political Weekly. Jayan regularly contributes to media outlets, notably The Hindu, and his research has been widely cited, including in international media. He has worked on research projects for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

As a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) supervisor, Jayan has successfully guided six candidates to the completion of their doctoral studies and has been mentoring another six at various stages of their research. His current research spans four interrelated areas: India’s youth, focusing on education, aspirations, and jobs; industrial policies and development in Asia and the world; inter-state migration of workers in India; and macroeconomic policies for wage-led growth.

Previous Employment

Research Fellow, The Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore (2004-2008 and 2014)

Member in charge of industrial policies, State Planning Board, Government of Kerala (2016-2021)

Teaching

Undergraduate Courses: Macroeconomics, Distribution and Growth.

Graduate Courses: Macroeconomics I (for MSc), Political Economy of Development, Macro Development Economics, Perspectives on Indian Economy.

Selected Opinions

Jayan Jose Thomas (2025), How India’s Youth Can Challenge U.S. Tariffs?, The Hindu, August 20.

Jayan Jose Thomas (2025), Indian Industry Needs Innovation, not Mindless Toil, The Hindu, February 24.

Jayan Jose Thomas (2025), Is consumption enough to drive growth?, The Hindu, February 21.

Jayan Jose Thomas (2024), Should State Governments Borrow More?, The Hindu, 4 April 2024.

Selected Recent Publications
  • Jayan Jose Thomas (2025), Aspirations and Realities in Rural India: Jobs, Incomes and Inequalities, 1983 – 2023, presented at the FAS International Conference on Agrarian Change 2025.
  • Chinju Johny and Jayan Jose Thomas (2024), The limits to growth of India’s Garment Industry, Economic and Political Weekly, 24 August 2024, 59 (34): 107-113.
  • Jayan Jose Thomas (2023), Employment Growth and Industrial Policy: The Challenge for Indian States, The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 66 (1): 113-129, January 2023, Springer.
  • Jayan Jose Thomas (2022), Covid-19 and the Indian economy: the debate about a wage-led recovery, in Lazzarini, A. and Melnik, D. (eds.), Economists and COVID-19 - Ideas, Theories and Policies During the Pandemic, Springer.