Meghnad Desai, Stalwart Economist Of Indian Origin, Passes Away at 84

Meghnad Desai, a renowned economist, author, and House of Lords member known for his Indian roots, passed away at 84. On the sad occasion of his demise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a post in remembrance of the integral role the economist played in deepening India-UK ties.

PM Modi wrote on X, “Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist. He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties. Will fondly recall our discussions, where he shared his valuable insights. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti.

Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist. He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties. Will fondly recall our discussions, where he shared his valuable… pic.twitter.com/q1cv3DAXaw

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2025

Born in Vadodara, Gujarat, Meghnad Desai was raised alongside two brothers and a sister. Beyond his years, he began secondary school at the age of seven and completed his matriculation by 14. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Ramnarain Ruia College, under the University of Mumbai, and went on to pursue his Master’s in Economics from the university’s Department of Economics.

During his academic career, Desai contributed to more than 200 scholarly articles and penned a regular column in a British radical weekly. One of his notable works, ‘Marx’s Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism’, was published in 2002. Apart from his economic writings, Desai also ventured into cultural biography, publishing ‘Nehru’s Hero Dilip Kumar In The Life Of India’, a book on legendary Indian actor Dilip Kumar.