Lord Meghnad Desai: A towering economist, global thinker

Lord Meghnad Desai’s academic and literary contributions spanned a vast intellectual canvas, firmly establishing him as one of the most influential Indian-origin economists on the global stage. At the London School of Economics (LSE), where he taught from 1965 to 2003, he was known for challenging orthodoxy and blending Marxist, Keynesian, and liberal economic ideas with striking originality. He played a pivotal role in founding the LSE’s Development Studies Institute and later the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, shaping global policy debates on poverty, inequality, and globalisation. His lectures were widely recognised for their clarity and wit.

As an author, Desai published more than 20 books and hundreds of essays reflecting his deep engagement with economics, politics, and culture. His landmark works include Marx’s Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism, in which he reinterpreted Marx’s ideas in the context of globalisation, and The Rediscovery of India, a sweeping political and economic reappraisal of modern India. In Nehru’s Hero: Dilip Kumar in the Life of India, he turned his analytical lens to cinema and national identity.

Whether writing on Karl Marx, Indian democracy, or Bollywood, Desai’s works stood out for their intellectual depth, accessibility, and ability to provoke debate across disciplines. His legacy endures through his contributions to economic thought across two continents.