| Current role | Assistant Professor, Institute of Management, Nirma University (Dept. of Undergraduate Studies in Management) |
| Specialisation | Accounting and finance · Firm performance & profitability · Industrial and regional economics |
| Education | Ph.D. (2021) & M.Phil. (2016), Economics — Central University of Gujarat · MBA (Financial Management) · B.Com. |
| Methods | STATA · SPSS · NESTER (NSSO, CSO, CMIE & RBI datasets) |
| Connect | Nirma profile · ORCID · Google Scholar · LinkedIn |
“At the intersection of academic rigor and real-world impact stands an economist whose research illuminates the hidden dynamics of India’s unorganized sector and shapes future economic thought.”
Dr. Ankur Yadav is an economist whose work maps a part of the economy that official statistics struggle to capture — India’s unorganized manufacturing sector, which employs millions of people but leaves only a faint data trail.
Doctoral research and its contribution
Dr. Yadav’s doctoral thesis at the Central University of Gujarat (2016–2021), Analysis of State-wise Market Performance of the Unorganised Manufacturing Sector in India, broke new methodological ground in the study of India’s informal economy. His central contributions:
- The first profitability analysis of India’s unorganised manufacturing sector built from NSSO unit-level data.
- A first-of-its-kind integration of ASI tabulations with NSSO unit-level data, setting a new methodological standard for the field.
- Evidence that liberalisation improved the sector’s growth performance — but that its market performance told a more complicated story: measured by Price-Cost Margin (PCM) and Gross Profit Margin (GPM), the sector recorded a negative compound annual growth rate in the post-reform period, alongside wide disparities across Indian states.
That last finding is the heart of the work: growth and profitability moved in opposite directions, and the gap between states widened — a caution against treating “the informal sector” as a single, uniform story.
His earlier M.Phil. research (2014–2016), Impact of Training Programmes under Self-Help Groups on the Socio-Economic Status of Rural Women, traced how SHG training raised women’s income-earning skills and household financial stability, strengthened their confidence and social standing, and improved children’s education and access to healthcare. Read together, the two degrees show a clear arc — from the economics of gender and rural livelihoods to the industrial economics of the informal sector.
🔍 Core Research Focus
- Firm performance, profitability, and market dynamics in the unorganised manufacturing sector
- Regional and spatial disparities in industrial growth
- Female labour-force participation and women’s empowerment through Self-Help Groups
- COVID-19 and its uneven impact on care and healthcare workers
- Econometric analysis of large official datasets (NSSO, CSO, CMIE, RBI)
📚 Selected publications
- Prakash, H., Sen, V., & Yadav, A. (2022). Equal risk, unequal burden: Female care workers in the time of COVID-19 and policy intervention. Artha Vijnana, LXIV(2).
- Yadav, A., & Prakash, H. (2020). Regional concentration of the unorganised manufacturing sector in India: A spatial analysis. Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management Studies, 18(1 & 2).
- Prakash, H., & Yadav, A. (2020). State variations in female labour participation in India: A study of the 68th NSS and First Periodic Labour Force Survey. Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management Studies, 18(3 & 4).
- Yadav, A. (2019). Region-wise spatial concentration of the unorganised manufacturing sector in India. Think India Journal, 22(26).
- Prakash, H., & Yadav, A. (2018). Understanding the economic valuation of unpaid care work. Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management Studies, 16(2).
Selected conference presentations
- International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva — co-authored paper at the 8th Conference of the Regulating for Decent Work (RDW) Network, Ensuring Decent Work in Times of Uncertainty, 10–12 July 2023.
- O. P. Jindal University — “A Spatial Analysis of Unorganised Manufacturing Sector Growth in India,” 3rd International Conference on the Role of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management for Sustainable Development (ICRIEMSD), 25–26 November 2022.
- Goa Institute of Management — “Growth of the Unorganised Manufacturing Sector in India: A Spatial Analysis” and “Regional Determinants of Female Labour Force Participation Rate in India,” International Conference on the State of Employment in India: Problems and Prospects, 2022.
- KIET School of Management, Ghaziabad — “Regional Concentration of the Unorganised Manufacturing Sector in India,” 5th International Conference on Recent Trends in Humanities, Technology, Management & Social Development, 2020.
Current role and teaching
Dr. Yadav is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Management at Nirma University, Ahmedabad, in the Department of Undergraduate Studies in Management, where he specialises in accounting and finance. His applied-finance grounding runs deep: alongside his economics doctorate he holds an MBA in Financial Management (Dr. Hari Singh Gour University) and a B.Com. (University of Allahabad), and he works fluently with large official datasets from the NSSO, CSO, CMIE, and RBI using STATA, SPSS, and NESTER.
“Education is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about fostering critical thinking, nurturing curiosity, and empowering minds to solve real-world challenges.”
Before joining Nirma, he taught at the GNIOT MBA Institute in Greater Noida, where he served as Assistant Professor and then as Controller of Examination, founded the institute’s Finance Club, supervised more than 80 postgraduate dissertations, and received the Quality Contribution Award (2022).
The CUG connection
The Central University of Gujarat is where Dr. Yadav’s research identity took shape — and where his association with Prof. Jaya Prakash Pradhan began.
“Under the expert guidance of Dr. Jaya Prakash Pradhan — who remains a lifelong mentor — I developed the skills to thrive as an academician. His mentorship inspired me to pursue excellence in research and teaching, and instilled a commitment to high academic standards that I strive to emulate in my own career.” — Dr. Ankur Yadav
Leadership in Academic Excellence
Controller of Examination, Greater Noida Institute of Technology (NAAC A+)
- Orchestrated comprehensive examination systems for academic integrity
- Developed and implemented innovative evaluation methodologies
- Coordinated with multiple departments for seamless operations
- Addressed student grievances with empathy and fairness
- Maintained detailed examination records and ensuring compliance
- Led initiatives for continuous improvement in assessment systems
Looking ahead
Dr. Yadav sees education as a force for social change. His priorities are to combine research and teaching in the service of contemporary economic problems, to widen access to quality education for marginalized communities, and to mentor the next generation of researchers — carrying forward the standards he encountered at CUG.
Vision for the Future | Beyond Academia
Dr. Yadav envisions education as a catalyst for social transformation, focusing on:
- Bridging research-practice gaps through applied economic research
- Empowering marginalized communities through accessible education
- Fostering innovation in teaching and learning methodologies
- Creating inclusive learning spaces for diverse student populations
- Developing research initiatives that address contemporary economic challenges
- Contributing to policy discussions on informal sector development
- Mentoring next-generation researchers and academicians
🤝 Connect with Dr. Ankur Yadav
- Nirma University faculty profile — his official institutional page, with current contact details
- 🔗ORCID · Google Scholar · LinkedIn
- 📧 phd.ankur@gmail.com
- 📱 +91 9773163733
