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Dr Nandini Rao

Assistant Professor of Economics

I teach development economics and research how families in rural Maharashtra save and borrow.

About

I am an Assistant Professor of Economics at a college of the University of Pune, where I have taught undergraduate and postgraduate students since 2017. Before that I taught Economics to Classes 11 and 12 at a CBSE school for three years.

My research looks at how households in rural Maharashtra use self-help groups, gold loans and mobile money. I am also a resource person for the state's teacher training programme on Economics in the new curriculum.

Download my CV

Education

  • 2014 - 2019

    PhD, Economics

    Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune

    Thesis: Savings groups and household borrowing in rural Maharashtra.

  • 2010 - 2012

    M.A., Economics

    University of Hyderabad

    • GradeFirst class
  • 2012 - 2013

    B.Ed

    SNDT Women's University, Mumbai

Certifications

  • UGC NET with JRF, Economics

    University Grants Commission · 2013

  • Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET)

    CBSE · 2013

  • Faculty development programme, online pedagogy

    A national teaching institute · 2024

Teaching philosophy

Start from what students see. Every topic opens with a market, a household or a news story from students' own lives.

Talk, then write. Students argue a question in pairs before they write an answer, so the writing has something to say.

Feedback that moves. Short weekly tasks with comments, not one big exam at the end.

Courses I teach

Undergraduate

  • Principles of Microeconomics
  • Indian Economy
  • Statistics for Economics

Postgraduate

  • Development Economics
  • Research Methods
  • Rural Finance (elective)

Selected publications

  1. Gold loans and the cost of a bad harvest: evidence from rural Maharashtra

    Rao N, Kulkarni P

    Journal of Development Studies, 2025

  2. Do savings groups change who borrows? A village panel study

    Rao N

    Economic and Political Weekly, 2023

  3. Teaching Indian economy with local data: a classroom guide

    Rao N, Joshi M

    A teacher education journal, 2022Teaching

All on Google Scholar

News

  • Sep 2026

    Talk

    Invited talk on mobile money at a national economics conference

  • Jul 2026

    Teaching

    New postgraduate elective on rural finance approved

  • Mar 2026

    Award

    Best teacher award from the college, 2025-26

Contact

For students, collaborations or talks, email is best: nandini@example.com. I reply within a few days.