The Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) is an advanced research institute in Mumbai, Maharashtra, devoted to research and teaching in development economics and allied disciplines. It was established by the Reserve Bank of India and is a recognised institution of higher learning, conferring postgraduate and doctoral degrees as a deemed university.
| Name | Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | IGIDR |
| Type | Deemed university; research institute |
| Established | 1987 |
| Founder/Sponsor | Reserve Bank of India |
| Location | Goregaon (East), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Focus | Development economics, public policy, finance, energy and environment |
IGIDR was founded by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an autonomous body, with the objective of carrying out interdisciplinary research on development issues from a broad societal perspective. It was named in memory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The institute was inaugurated on 28 December 1987 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In 1995, it was granted the status of a deemed university by the Government of India under the University Grants Commission Act, enabling it to offer its own degree programmes.
The institute is located on a campus in Goregaon (East), Mumbai, adjoining the Film City area at the foothills of the Aarey region. The campus houses academic blocks, a library specialising in economics and the social sciences, computing facilities, and residential quarters for faculty and students.
IGIDR offers research-oriented postgraduate and doctoral programmes in economics with an emphasis on quantitative and policy-relevant work. Its main programmes include:
Admission to these programmes is highly selective, typically based on a written entrance examination followed by an interview.
The institute conducts research across themes such as macroeconomics and finance, agriculture and rural development, industrial economics, energy and environmental policy, international economics, and poverty and human development. IGIDR faculty contribute to policy debates through working papers, books, and consultative work for Indian and international agencies. The institute also hosts conferences, including the Emerging Markets Finance Conference jointly organised with partner institutions.
IGIDR functions under a Society and a Board of Management, with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India traditionally associated with its governing structure. The institute is led by a Director, who is the chief academic and administrative officer.
As one of India's specialised institutions for graduate-level research in economics, IGIDR has produced scholars who work in academia, central banks, multilateral organisations, and the public and private sectors. Its links with the Reserve Bank of India give it a distinctive role in policy-relevant research on the Indian economy.