I am a Development Economist and Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). My current work, as part of the MigrationRhythms project, examines how migration shapes upward social mobility among middle-class households in Asia. I lead the survey design, data collection, and quantitative analysis across four cities—Hanoi, Karachi, Mumbai, and Manila.

My research interests lie in development economics, with a focus on migration, remittances, labour, and human capital. I have also engaged with questions of inequality, gender, and social mobility, especially in the Global South. My work spans the full spectrum of labour migration—from decisions to migrate and destination choice to remittances, return, and reintegration.

I hold a PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where my doctoral research explored the links between migration and development. Much of my work has focused on Gulf migration from India, including the vulnerabilities faced by women migrant workers, food security among low-skilled workers, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indian migrant workers in the GCC. I have also been an active voice in national and international forums on labour migration from Kerala.

My research has been published in journals such as Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Economic and Political Weekly, and the Journal of Social and Economic Change. I have contributed to the India Migration Report (2020, 2023, 2025) and the South Asia Migration Report (2023), and I also write for national newspapers, including The Hindu and Scroll.

Before joining PRIO, I was an Assistant Professor in India, where I taught courses in Development Economics, Public Policy, and Research Methodology.