Development Economics & Public Finance Expert; Tata Chancellor's Professor at University of California San Diego; Author of "Accelerating India's Development"

San Diego, CA, USA
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Karthik Muralidharan Biography

Karthik Muralidharan is Tata Chancellor's Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego, specializing in development economics and public finance. His research focuses on education, health, welfare, and public service delivery, and has appeared in academic journals such as American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Political Economy, and Econometrica. Muralidharan holds an A.B. in economics from Harvard, an M.Phil. in economics from Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. He is ranked among the top 6 percent of economists on IDEAS/RePEc.

Muralidharan's work includes large-scale randomized evaluations on teacher performance pay, contract teachers, and cash grants to schools in India, assessing their effects on student learning outcomes. In Andhra Pradesh, he evaluated the impact of performance-based teacher pay on student achievement in math and language. He also conducted a study with the state of Andhra Pradesh on the use of smart cards for distributing pensions and employment payments under the national right to work law, covering 19 million people in one of the largest randomized controlled trials in development economics.

Muralidharan serves as an editor for Journal of Development Economics, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and India Policy Forum. He is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a fellow and board member of the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development, co-chair of the Education program at the Jameel Poverty Action Lab, an affiliate at the Center for Effective Global Action, and a research affiliate with Innovations for Poverty Action. He is also a member of the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel of the World Bank and FCDO. Beyond academia, Muralidharan co-founded and serves as scientific director of the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States, a nonprofit organization focused on improving state capacity, governance, and service delivery in India.

Muralidharan is the author of "Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance." The book analyzes India's governance challenges in delivering public services and offers evidence-based strategies, emphasizing the importance of state-level reforms. The book received the Jury Award in the Business & Management category at the Crossword Book Awards and the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize. Muralidharan has been recognized as a Global TED Speaker and has received Excellence in Refereeing Awards from both American Economic Review and Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Muralidharan engages in policy advising at global, national, and state levels, and communicates research insights through op-eds, podcasts, and public lectures. His work is designed to bridge the gap between academic research, public understanding, and actionable governance, contributing to discourse on development economics, education policy, and effective public service delivery.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/30/2026.

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  • What topics does Karthik Muralidharan speak about?

    Karthik Muralidharan is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Asian & Pacific Heritage, Democracy, Disruptive Thinking, Economy, Education, Government, Professors, TED, Thought Leadership
  • Where does Karthik Muralidharan travel from?

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Karthik Muralidharan is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Karthik Muralidharan for your event is available upon request. Karthik Muralidharan generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Yanis Varoufakis, Alex Edmans, Henri Arslanian, Cass Sunstein and Anil Gupta. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Karthik Muralidharan for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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