The Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) is an autonomous, multidisciplinary centre for advanced research and training in economics and the social sciences, located on the University of Delhi (North Campus) in Delhi, India. It is widely regarded as one of India's leading institutions for economic research and is recognised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) as a national institute.
| Type | Autonomous research institute |
|---|---|
| Field | Economics and social sciences |
| Location | University Enclave, University of Delhi (North Campus), Delhi |
| Affiliation | University of Delhi (for doctoral programmes) |
| Recognition | ICSSR-supported national institute |
| Country | India |
The Institute was founded in 1958 by the economist and demographer V. K. R. V. Rao, who envisioned a research body that would combine rigorous quantitative analysis with a policy orientation suited to the needs of a newly independent India. From its inception, the IEG was conceived as an institution that would bring together economists, demographers, sociologists and other social scientists to work on problems of growth, development and social change.
The IEG conducts research across a broad range of areas, including:
The Institute offers a doctoral programme in economics in collaboration with the University of Delhi, runs a postgraduate diploma in population studies, and conducts short-term training programmes for officers of central and state governments, the Reserve Bank of India, and other public bodies. It also hosts visiting scholars and organises conferences, workshops and named lectures.
The IEG publishes a working paper series and brings out scholarly journals and books in association with major academic publishers. It is associated with the Indian Economic Review, a peer-reviewed journal in economics, and with publications in the field of population studies and rural development.
The Institute is housed on a dedicated campus within the University of Delhi's North Campus. Its facilities include the Ratan Tata Library, which holds extensive collections in economics, demography and the social sciences, computing and data resources for empirical research, residential accommodation for faculty and visiting scholars, and seminar and conference halls.
Over the decades, the IEG has contributed to policy debates in India through research commissioned by ministries of the Government of India, the Planning Commission (and later NITI Aayog), the Reserve Bank of India, state governments and international organisations. Several of its faculty members have served on government committees, central bank panels and expert groups, and its alumni occupy academic and policy positions in India and abroad.