Abhijit Banerjee, Economist
Economist

Abhijit Banerjee

Born 21 February 1961 · Maharashtra

Co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab to use experiments for poverty alleviation.

Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee is an Indian American economist who is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), an MIT based global research center promoting the use of scientific evidence to inform poverty alleviation strategies. In 2019, Banerjee shared the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer, "for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty." He and Esther Duflo are married, and became the sixth married couple to jointly win a Nobel or Nobel Memorial Prize.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Nobel laureates in economics, are only the sixth married couple to jointly win a Nobel Prize.

The Story

1
In 1961, Abhijit Banerjee was born in Mumbai to two economists, setting a foundation in a household where economic debates were dinner table conversations.
2
🌟 At South Point School, Kolkata, he was a quiet but brilliant student, initially drawn to literature and philosophy before switching to economics after a brief stint at Indian Statistical Institute in 1978.
3By 1981, Banerjee graduated from Presidency College with a BSc in Economics, studying under his father Dipak Banerjee and economic historian Nabhendu Sen, blending history and maths in his approach.
4At Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1983, he was arrested and imprisoned during a student protest, an experience that shaped his understanding of political economy and social justice.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Nobel Prize

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Banerjee was once arrested and beaten at Tihar Jail during a student protest at Jawaharlal Nehru University in the 1980s, an experience that impacted his political views on economic inequality.

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Through the Years

2 photographs from the archives
Abhijit Banerjee at the FT Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award ceremony (2011)
Abhijit Banerjee at the FT Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award ceremony (2011)
2011
Abhijit Banerjee speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, India (2025)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Mumbai, India
Abhijit Banerjee was born into a family of economists, with his father Dipak Banerjee being a distinguished professor and his mother an academic at Calcutta.
1961
📚
Education
Entered Indian Statistical Institute
Started studying mathematics but transferred after one week to Presidency College to study economics, influenced by family and personal interests.
1978
📚
Education
Completed MA at Jawaharlal Nehru University
Studied economics amid political activism, leading to his arrest and imprisonment during student protests at JNU.
1983
📚
Education
Earned PhD from Harvard University
Completed his doctoral studies focusing on development economics and began teaching at Princeton University shortly after.
1988
⚡
Career
Co-founded J-PAL at MIT
Along with Esther Duflo and Sendhil Mullainathan, Banerjee established the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab to apply scientific evidence to poverty alleviation.
2003
🏅
Award
Won Nobel Prize in Economics
Received the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach to fighting global poverty.
2019
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 1994, Banerjee received a Sloan Research Fellowship, given to early career researchers with potential to revolutionize their fields, highlighting early recognition of his innovative approach.

02 / 05
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Banerjee briefly studied mathematics at the Indian Statistical Institute in 1978 before transferring to Presidency College to study economics, influenced by his parents’ academic legacy.

03 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Banerjee co-directed J-PAL, founded in 2003 at MIT, which conducts randomized controlled trials in dozens of countries, pioneering a scientific approach to poverty alleviation.

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"A series of accidents, mostly fortunate, made me the human being and economist that I am."

— Abhijit Banerjee

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
How Nobel Winner Abhijit Banerjee Described State Of Indian Economy
More from this archive
How Nobel Winner Abhijit Banerjee Described State Of Indian Economy
01
How Nobel Winner Abhijit Banerjee Described State Of Indian Economy
Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee Shares About His New Book 'Cooking To Save Your Life' | Jab We Met
02
Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee Shares About His New Book 'Cooking To Save Your Life' | Jab We Met
The Magnificent Journey: Times and Tales of Democracy
03
The Magnificent Journey: Times and Tales of Democracy
Mumbai-Born Abhijit Banerjee, Wife Esther Duflo Win Nobel For Economics
04
Mumbai-Born Abhijit Banerjee, Wife Esther Duflo Win Nobel For Economics
Headlines Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee says that Indian economy is on a shaky ground
05
Headlines Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee says that Indian economy is on a shaky ground
We Have Learnt Some Important Lessons From COVID-19: Abhijit Banerjee
06
We Have Learnt Some Important Lessons From COVID-19: Abhijit Banerjee
The Future of Inequality│Abhijit Banerjee(MIT, Professor of Economics)
07
The Future of Inequality│Abhijit Banerjee(MIT, Professor of Economics)
Co-Founder of J-Pal Dr Abhijit Banerjee Elaborates on the Importance of Evidence-Based Policy Making
08
Co-Founder of J-Pal Dr Abhijit Banerjee Elaborates on the Importance of Evidence-Based Policy Making
Meeting PM Modi a unique experience: Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee | Economic Times
09
Meeting PM Modi a unique experience: Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee | Economic Times
Interview with Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, Prize in Economic Sciences 2019
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Interview with Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, Prize in Economic Sciences 2019

🌱 What changed because of them

Banerjee’s co-founding of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) transformed how global poverty is studied by rigorously applying randomized controlled trials to test interventions. His work influenced international policy, guiding NGOs and governments to adopt evidence-based strategies rather than assumptions. His academic roles at MIT and leadership in policy advisory panels extended the reach of his research into practical social programs worldwide.

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