<p data-start="803" data-end="1311">Economics, at its heart, is a way of seeing the world, not just through numbers, but through the incentives, institutions, and choices that shape how people live, work, and build societies. I fell in love with economics because it doesn't just explain markets; it explains people, their aspirations, constraints, and the systems they create to coordinate with one another. This perspective has shaped my academic and professional journey and drives my desire to contribute to NICMAR's academic community.</p>
<p data-start="1313" data-end="2068">In my doctoral work at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, I investigated how social capital, governance rules, and membership dynamics influence the performance of Farmer-Producer Companies in Maharashtra. What began as a question about rural institutions quickly became a richer exploration of how collective action, trust, and structure interact to determine economic outcomes. The research demanded not just econometric rigour and field engagement, but also a continuous questioning of why some groups thrive while others struggle. How do governance mechanisms change incentives? What lessons can economics offer practitioners on the ground? This blend of theory, data, and lived context underpins my approach as both scholar and teacher.</p>
<p data-start="2070" data-end="2563">Teaching is not about empty lectures; it's about lighting intellectual sparks. Whether in Microeconomics or Development Economics, my aim has been to take economic principles off the page and into everyday reasoning, helping students understand why inflation matters, how incentives shape behaviour, and why infrastructure decisions are deeply economic. I strive to make economics not just learnable, but meaningful&nbsp;a tool for thinking clearly about complex social questions.</p>
<p data-start="2565" data-end="3129">At NICMAR Pune, I see an exciting alignment between this way of thinking and the broader goals of your programs. Infrastructure, project management, built environments these are arenas where economic forces are constantly at play: in financing decisions, regulatory frameworks, pricing strategies, sustainability trade-offs, and public&ndash;private collaborations. An economist's job in such contexts is not merely to apply formulas, but to teach students how to think&nbsp;how to frame questions, weigh trade-offs, and forecast consequences in uncertain environments.</p>
<p data-start="3131" data-end="3225">If I have the opportunity to join NICMAR, I envision contributing in several interlinked ways:</p>
<ul data-start="3227" data-end="3744">
<li data-start="3227" data-end="3431">
<p data-start="3229" data-end="3431">Teaching and Curriculum: Core courses in Microeconomics, Development Economics, Infrastructure Economics, and Economic Environment of Business, taught with clarity and relevance to real practice.</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3432" data-end="3612">
<p data-start="3434" data-end="3612">Applied Electives: Electives that foreground institutional design, governance, and regulatory economics, bridging theory with the challenges facing infrastructure sectors.</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3613" data-end="3744">
<p data-start="3615" data-end="3744">Student Mentorship: Guiding student research on policy and infrastructure topics, turning curiosity into disciplined inquiry.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p data-start="3746" data-end="4093">For me, economics is not an abstract exercise; it is a lens for understanding choices and systems. Joining NICMAR's community would allow me to bring this lens to students preparing to lead in sectors where economic reasoning matters deeply.&nbsp; I am excited by the possibility of advancing research that connects institutional economics with infrastructure policy, urban systems, and project governance, while mentoring students to think, not just calculate, about the choices that influence outcomes at scale.</p>