Vinoj Abraham

Vinoj Abraham

Professor, CDS Thiruvananthapuram

Professor, Ministry of Commerce Chair at CDS coordinating National Research Programme on Plantation Development at CDS

E-Mail: vinoj@cds.edu;  vinojabraham@gmail.com

Areas of Research and Academic Interest:

Labour Economics, Gender and Development, Economics of Technology and Innovation, Development Economics, Regional Development, Plantation studies

Previous positions held:

• Associate Professor at Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum
• Assistant Professor at Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum
• Assistant Professor at the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development, New Delhi

 Educational Qualification

• M.Phil and PhD in Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 2006
• M.S in Development Economics, Pondicherry University, 1995
• B.A in Economics, Madras Christian College, 1993

 Teaching:

Current teaching

• Labour and Development in India,  Ph.D, 2020 onwards
• Economic Development PhD, 2020 onwards.
• Field Survey Ph.D, 2021 onwards
• Labour Economics, MA,  from 2012 onwards

Past teaching

• Regional Perspectives in Indian Economy, M.Phil,  2006 to 2013
• Labour, Employment and Development, M.Phil,  2006  to 2014.
• Field Survey M.Phil,   2013
• Economic Development M.Phil,  from 2014-2020.
• Labour Market and Institutions in M.Phil,  2014-2020

Supervision

Ph.D awarded: 5 scholars;  M.Phil awarded: 30 scholars

Publications

Books

• “Labour Regulation and Its Impact:  A Review of Studies and Documents: Labour Regulation in Indian Industry -Series 3” (co-author with T.S.Papola and G.S.Mehta) published by ISID and Bookwell Publishers, 2008
• “Punjab Agriculture at the Crossroads” (co-authored with Om Kamra) , published by Jawahar Book Centre, New Delhi;  2004
•  “Industrialization, Economic Reforms and Regional Development: Essays in honour of Professor Ashok K. Mathur” (co-editor with S. K.Thorat and Jaya PrakashPradhan ), published by Shipra Publications , New Delhi;2005

Published Articles

• Abraham V, Madhavan M. Performance of the Plantation Sector During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Indian Economic Journal. 2020;68(3):438-456. doi:10.1177/0019466220988064
• Mansoor, Kashif and Vinoj Abraham (2020) Occupational Segregation in the Indian Labor Market: A Socio-religious Perspective, Indian Journal of Labour Economics 64(1):1-27, DOI:10.1007/s41027-021-00302-4
• Abraham, Vinoj and Ritika Jain(2020) “Privatisation and the Voluntary Retirement Scheme:The case of BSNL, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 55, Issue No. 40, 03 Oct
• Ghosh, Sunandan and Vinoj Abraham (2020)The Case of the ‘Missing Middle’ in the Indian Manufacturing Sector: A Firm Level Analysis, October 2020, Journal of quantitative economics: journal of the Indian Econometric Society, DOI: 10.1007/s40953-020-00222-y
• Abraham, Vinoj. (2019), “Jobless growth through the lens of structural transformation”, Indian Growth and Development Review, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 182-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/IGDR-07-2018-0077
• Sasikumar, S.K &Abraham, Vinoj.(2018) Towards Enhancing The Effectiveness of Minimum Wage Systems: The Wage Protection System In Kerala, Labour and Development,  Vol 25, No. 2, December
• Abraham, V. & Sasikumar, S.K.(2018)  Labour Market Institutions and New Technology: The Case of Employment Service in India,  Ind. J. Labour Econ. (2018) 61: 453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-018-0144-1
• Abraham Vinoj and Sasikumar S K (2018) Wage Policy and labour market outcome in Kerala   ILO Asia-Pacific Working Paper Series
• Abraham, Vinoj (2017)“Stagnant Employment Growth: Last Three Years May Have Been the Worst”  Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 52, Issue No. 38, 23 Sep, 2017
• Abraham Vinoj and Sasikumar S K (2017) Declining Wage Share in India’s Organised Manufacturing Sector: Trends, Patterns and Determinants”  ILO Asia-Pacific Working Paper Series,  DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India http://www.ilo.org/newdelhi/whatwedo/publications/WCMS_614777/lang–en/index.htm
• Andres, Luis Alberto; Dasgupta, Basab; Joseph, George; Abraham, Vinoj; Correia, Maria C (  2017). Precarious drop : reassessing patterns of female labor force participation in India. Policy Research working paper; no. WPS 8024. Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/559511491319990632/Precarious-drop-reassessing-patterns-of-female-labor-force-participation-in-India
• Abraham Vinoj and Sasikumar S K (2017) Global Study on Good Practices in Using Partnerships for Effective and Efficient Delivery of Employment Services and Active Labour Market Policies: The Case of India, 21 December,EMPLOYMENT Working Paper No. 233, ILO, Geneva http://www.ilo.org/employment/Whatwedo/Publications/working-papers/WCMS_614389/lang–en/index.htm
• Haldar, Tanushree and Vinoj Abraham (2015) “Development, Displacement and Labour Market Marginalization: The case of Jharkhand Tribal population” , Social Changevol 45, No.1, March
• Abraham, Vinoj and Devika J (2014) “Poverty and Women’s Livelihood in Kerala:A Comparison of Two Sites”, Labour and Development, Vol 21 No.2 December.
• Abraham, Vinoj (2013),Missing Labour or Consistent Defiminisation?” Economic and Political Weekly, August 3^rd, volXLVIII no 31.
• Abraham, Vinoj (2012), The Deteriorating Labour Market Conditions and Crime: An Analysis of Indian States During 2001-2008,Millennial Asia, July-Dec,Vol 3 No: 2
• Singh Jatinder;  K J Joseph and Vinoj Abraham (2011) “Inward Investment and Market Structure in an Open Developing Economy: A Case of India’s Manufacturing Sector” (2011) , with, The Indian Journal of Economics, July   Vol 92, No. 365
• Abraham, Vinoj (2011) “Internationalization of India’s Information Technology Sector and Its Implications on Market Structure”, Transnational Corporations Review:TNCRVolume 3 Number 2  June 2011
• Abraham, Vinoj and S.K. Sasikumar (2011) Labour costs and Export Behaviour: The case of Textile and Garments Industry in India,Economics, Management, & Financial Markets (EMFM,) Volume 6(1)
• Uma, Vinoj Abraham and K.J.Joseph (2010),Impact of Trade Liberalisation on Employment:The Experience Of India’s Manufacturing Industries, Indian Journal of Labour Economics issue 4.
•  Joseph, K.J. and Vinoj Abraham (2009), University-Industry Interactions and Innovation in India: Patterns, Determinants, and Effects in Select Industries, , Seoul Journal of Economics Vol. 22, No. 4 (Winter)
• Abraham, Vinoj (2009), Rural Employment Growth in India: Distress Driven? Economic and Political Weekly, April 18, volXLIV no 16.
• Abraham, Vinoj (2007), Growth and Inequality of Wages in India: Recent Trends and Patterns” in Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol 50, No. 4, December
• Abraham, Vinoj (2007) Employee Attrition in Indian Software Industry: Patterns and Proximate Factors, Labour and Development, Vol 12 No.2 and Vol13, No.1, June.
•  Sharma, R.K. and Vinoj Abraham (2005), The Growth of Services Sector Employment and Income in India: A Regional Analysis, Indian Economic Journal, Vol. 53 , No.3.
•  Abraham,Vinoj and R.K.Sharma(2005), New Technology and the Emerging Labour Market:A Study of Indian IT Industry,Indian Journal of Labour Economics,Vol. 48, No.4.
• Pradhan, Jaya Prakash and Vinoj Abraham (2005) “Social and Cultural Impact of Outsourcing: Emerging Issues from Indian Call Centers”,  Harvard Asia Quarterly, Summer
• Sharma, R.K. and Vinoj Abraham (2004),  Labour Productivity in the Indian Unorganised Service Sector: Measurement Issues, Patterns and Determinants”, Indian Journal of Labour Economics ,Vol. 47 , No.4, 2004
• Pradhan, Jaya Prakash, Vinoj Abraham and Manoj Kumar Sahoo (2004) “Foreign Direct Investment and Labour: The Case of Indian Manufacturing” , Labour and Development, vol 10.No.1 June, 2004
• Pradhan, Jaya Prakash and Vinoj Abraham (2002) “Does Human Development Policy Matter for Growth- Regional Evidence from India” ‘South Asia Economic Journal’, Vol 3.1, 2002.
• Pradhan, Jaya Prakash and Vinoj Abraham (2004) “Internationalization of Production By a Developing Country Enterprise: Explaining Trans-Border Growth of NIIT Ltd”Journal of Asian Business , Vol 20. No.2 2004
• Pradhan, Jaya Prakash and Vinoj Abraham (2005) “Overseas Mergers and Acquisitions by Indian Enterprises: Patterns and Motivations”, Indian Journal of Economics, No. 338, January 2005.

Published Chapter in books

• Abraham, Vinoj (2020)“Structural change and rural households in India: An analysis of the nature of transformation in their economic activities” in volume edited by  N K Mishra, Development Challenges of India After Twenty Five Years of Economic Reforms, published by  Springer , DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8265-3_10
• Abraham, Vinoj (2020)  Women’s Participation in Domestic Activities Leisure, Care Services, and Status Production in the edited volume : Labouring Women: Issues and Challenges in Contemporary India editec by Jha, Praveen, Avinash Kumar and Yamini Mishra, Publisher: Orient BlackSwan
• Abraham, Vinoj and Mithesh Madhavan (2020) An Institutional Analysis of the Producer Collectives in Rubber and Coffee Cultivation in edited volume by Sunil Mani, Kerala and the World Economy
• Abraham, Vinoj (2019)” Dynamic nature of jobless growth in India’, an edited volume by Shyam Sundar,  Globalization, LabourMarket Institutions,Processes andPolicies in India: Essays in Honourof Lalit K. Deshpande, palgrave macmillan,
• Abraham, Vinoj (2018) “MGNREGS: Political Economy, Local Governance and Asset Creation in South Indian States”, in an edited volume by MadhusudanBhattarai, P.K. Viswanathan,Rudra N. Mishra, Cynthia Bantilan titled MGNREGS in India
• Abraham, Vinoj ( 2017) “Wages and Earnings of Social and Religious Groups in India: Data Sources, Scope, Limitations and Suggestions.” in the volume “The Economies of China and India: Cooperation and Conflict Volume 3: Economic Growth, Employment and Inclusivity: The International Environment “ Edited by ManMohanAgarwal and John Whalley, World Scientific, Singapore
• AmitShovon Ray; M. Parameswaran; ManmohanAgarwal; SunandanGhosh; Udaya S. Mishra; Upasak Das; Vinoj Abraham (2017)  “Quality of Social Science Research in India” in the volume Social Science Research in India:  Status, Issues, and Policies , edited by  SukhadeoThorat and Samar Verma, Oxford University Press, India
• Abraham, Vinoj (2016) “Agrarian Distress and Rural Non-Farm Sector Employment in India” in the volume       on “Indian Agriculture Performance, growth and challenges. Essays in honour of Ramesh Kumar Sharma”   edited by  Parmod Kumar and Mohanakumar, Routledge Indiahttp://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/35275/2/MPRA_paper_35275.pdf
• Joseph, K J and Vinoj Abraham(2015), Industry University Interaction in Global InnovationNetworks: A study of India’s ICT Sector, in Innovation, Technology and  Economic Development: Essays in Honor of Robert Evenson, K.J. Joseph, D. Johnson and L. Singh , Routledge, New Delhi
• Joseph, K.J, Lakhwinder Singh and Vinoj Abraham (2014)“Dealing with the Innovation-Inequality Conundrum: The Indian Experience”in edited volume by  Maria Clara Couto Soares ; Mario Scerri and RasiganMaharajh titled “Inequality and Development Challenges In BRICS” , Routledge, New Delhi and Routledge UK.
• Narayana, D and Vinoj Abraham (2012) “Dubai Model and the Impact of the Financial Crisis on South Asian Migrant Workers in the United Arab Emirates” (2012), India Migration Report 2012 , Routledge
• Abraham, Vinoj and S. IrudayaRajan (2012) “Global Financial Crisis and Return of South Asian Gulf Migrants: Patterns and Determinants of their integration to local labour markets” ,India Migration Report 2012, Routledge http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/31386/
• Abraham, Vinoj ( 2005) “ICT and Labour Market in India: Present Structure and Issues for Further Research” in “Industrialization, Economic Reforms and Regional Development: Essays in honour of Professor Ashok K. Mathur”,Shipra Publications , New Delhi;2005
• Pradhan, Jaya Prakash and Vinoj Abraham(2005) “Women’s Status and Economic Growth: Evidence from Indian States”   in “Industrialization, Economic Reforms and Regional Development: Essays in honour of Professor Ashok K. Mathur”Shipra Publications , New Delhi;
• Joseph, K.J. and Vinoj Abraham (2005) “Moving up or Lagging Behind in Technology? Evidence from an Estimated Index of Technological Competence of India’s ICT Sector” ICTs and Indian Economic Development: Economy, Work, Regulation edited byAshwiniSaith and Vijayabhaskar, Sage Publications, 2005

Publications in Malayalam

• Abraham, Vinoj,   COVID 19-um keralathinte antharaashtra kodiyetta saadhyathakalum, sasthragathi, December 2020

 Working Papers

• “Regional Skill Supplies and Location of Firms: The case of Information Technology Industry in India, 2010 ”www.mpra.ub.uni-uenchen.de/28424/1/MPRA_paper_28424.pdf
• The Effect of Information Technology on Wage Inequality: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Sector. September 2010: WP 437
• Information Technology and Productivity: Evidence from India’s Manufacturing Sector (with K.J.Joseph), Working paper Series 389, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala, September, 2007. http://cds.edu/download_files/wp389.pdf
• “Attracting Export-Oriented FDI: Can India Win the Race?’ (With JayaprakashPradhan), GIDR Working Paper No. 156, April 2005.

Op-eds

• In Kerala the need to budget for the future-opinion column published in The Hindu, 21^st June, 2021.https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/in-kerala-the-need-to-budget-for-the-future/article34874096.ece
• “Disconnect Between Politics, Economics: An Analysis of the Kerala Economy on the eve of the Assembly Elections 2011, April” column published in LiveMint, the financial daily of the Hindustan Times , on April 13^th, 2011 http://www.livemint.com/2011/04/12214218/Disconnect-between-politics-e.html
• “Disappearing Women from the Labour Force” OPED column published in The Tribune, 29^th October,2013 http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/178383/The-Tribune/TT_29_October_2013#page/9/1

Peer Review for Journals, Books, Courses

World Development,  Economic and Political Weekly, Review of Income and Wealth, Journal of Public Affairs,  Research Policy,  Population and Development Review, Development and Change, Indian Journal of Labour Economics,  Progress in Development Studies,          Indian Economic Review,  Innovation and Development,      Migration and Development,  ,  Social Change,  Journal of Social and Economic Change , Sociological Bullettin,  Economics, Management, & Financial Markets , Transnational Corporations Review

Projects currently associated with

• Performance of Rubber Producer Societies in Rubber Sector
• Performance of Farmer Producer Organisations in Coffee
• Performance of Self Help Groups  in Tea
• Feasibility of e-auction in rubber
• NRPPD Compendium of Plantation Crops in India- Coordinator
• Impact of international migration on local economy and society: A study of Kadakkavoor Village under the Kerala and the world economy project ( Jointly with Prof. Praveena Kodoth, Dr. Parameswaran and Dr. Ritika Jain)
• UNICEF project on migrant children in Kerala  ( with Prof. Praveena Kodoth)

Projects completed

• “Self Help or Social Transformation: The role of women in local governance in Kerala ( India) and South Africa” member of team headed by Prof. Devika J, 2012 for two years
• Coordinator; Evaluation Study of MGNREGA scheme in cluster 6 (14 districts of states Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala ) on behalf of the Programme Evaluation Organisation, Planning Commission  2012 October  for one year.
• Member , ICSSR Project on Quality of Social Science Research in India, Funded by ICSSR for Rs 14 lakhs during the period July 2015 to March 2016.
• Member, “Mid term appraisal of the Centrally Sponsored Development Schemes in Kerala under the 11^th Plan”, funded by the Planning Commission, Government of India. The project started in August 2009 and finished in December 2009
• Member, Global Economic crisis in the GCC and its impact on South Asian Migrants”, funded by the Asian Development Bank. The project started in July 2009 and  completed by December 2009.
• Member, Impact of Networks, Globalization, and their Interaction with EU Strategies”: This is a multi-country research project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission for Research and Technology Development. It commenced on January 1^st, 2009 and will get over by December 2011. The Indian leg of the research is coordinated by Prof. K.J.Joseph
• “National Innovation System and the Indian Economy,The multi country project was funded by IDRC and the Indian leg was coordinated by K J Joseph, at CDS. 2007-2009
• “Inequality and the Innovation System: The Indian Case” The multi country project was funded by IDRC and the Indian leg was coordinated by K J Joseph, at CDS. 2007-2009
• Associate Coordinator on the project titled “The Impact of Information Technology Agreement on Information Technology Sector in India” funded by UNCTAD India under the “Strategies and Preparedness for Trade and Globalization in India” programme commenced in August 2008
• Associate Coordinator on the project titled “Academia-Industry Interface” funded by IDRC, Canada. The project looks into the forms of academia –industry in India and their outcomes. 2007-2009

Awards/Scholarships/Studentships

• Sanjay Thakur Award for Young Labour Economist, 2007.
• Student Grant awarded by Sarai, Center for Study of Developing Societies, 2003

Organising Seminars/Conferences/Workshops 

• Coordinator, course on Database on Indian Economy organised by CDS online, -June 7^th-18^th 2021
• Coordinator, college teachers training programme,  TIPE-2019 for college teachers at CDS from March 18^th to April 12^th, sponsored by KN Raj Research and Fellowship Programme and Government of Kerala.
• Coordinator, Workshop on “State and Civil Society in Development and Environmental Governance in India, Kerala” conducted for Post Graduate students from Department of International Development, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, during 24 August to 4^th September 2018 at CDS.
• Associate conference coordinator of the ISLE 59^th conference held at GIFT, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, organised by the ISLE and Gulati institute of Finance and Taxation, Thiruvananthapuram, funded by ISLE, Government of Kerala during 16-18^th December, 2017
• Coordinator, Workshop on “State and Civil Society in Development and Environmental Governance in India, Kerala” conducted for Post Graduate students from Department of International Development, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, during 27 August to 4^th September 2017 at CDS.
• Coordinator, Workshop on “State and Civil Society in Development and Environmental Governance in India, Kerala” conducted for Post Graduate students from Department of International Development, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, during 27 August to 4^th September 2016 at CDS.
• Associate Coordinator, Research Week for research scholars in Social Sciences belonging to the SC/ST and other marginalized groups during 23-28 March 2015 at CDS.
• Associate Coordinator for the International Seminar on ‘Innovation And Development Under Globalization:BRICS Experience’ 19-21 August 2009,organised by CDS and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro at Hotel UdayaSamudra, Trivandrum. This was funded by IDRC.
• Associate Coordinator for the consultative meeting on “Global Financial Crisis and the effect on South Asian and South East Asian Migrants” organised by CDS at CDS, and funded by ILO and UNIFEM held on July 22-24^th , 2009
• Member of the organizing committee of international conference of GLOBELICS INDIA 2006, jointly organized by CDS and IIM Bangalore, venue at Trivandrum.

Membership in academic and research committees

• Member, Research Group of VVGNLI appointed by NITI AAYOG to study Gig and Platform workers in India, June-November 2021
• Convenor and member, Government Committee formed in September 2021 to oversee the progress on the “Compendium on plantation crops” being prepared by NRPPD. The committee is chaired by Joint Secretary, Plantations, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India, 2021
• Member, working group on “Women and Employment” of the State Planning Board constituted by Government of Kerala, 2021
• Member, working group on “Labour in the informal sector” of the State Planning Board constituted by Government of Kerala, and convenor subgroup on informal sector labour,  2021
• Member, National Committee on Evaluation of MTF Scheme of Rubber Board, 2019 September.
• External Collaborator to the ILO, South Asia Office , New Delhi ’India Wage Report’ for ILO( 2020)
• External Collaborator to the ILO, South Asia Office , New Delhi :Wage Share in the Organised Manufacturing Sector in India ( 2015)
• Senior Consultant to the World Bank : Female Labour Participation Patterns in India (2014)
• External Collaborator to the ILO, South Asia Office , New Delhi , working on the National Employment Policy for India ( 2014)
• Member, Executive Committee of the Indian Society of Labour Economics, 2020-21
• Member, Board of Studies, Dept. of Economics, Central University of Gujarat, 2021
• Member,  Board of Studies, Banaras Hindu University, Banaras 2020-21
• Member, Board of Studies,, Calicut University, Calicut, Kerala, 2020 -21
• Member, Board of Studies, Demography Department, Kerala University, Kerala, 2020-21
• Member, Board of Studies, MG University, Kerala 2020-21
• Member, Board of Studies, School of Development Studies, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development-Deemed University, Sreeperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, 2018
• Member, working group on “Labour and Labour Welfare” of the State Planning Board constituted by Government of Kerala, 2016
• Member, working group on “Migrant Labour” of the State Planning Board constituted by Government of Kerala, 2016
• Member, Evaluation team for Social Science Projects from 2017 for the Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi
• Member , Working Group of the Study “Employment andSocial Security of Cashew Workers in India with Special Reference to Kerala”, done by V.V.G. National Labour Institute, NOIDA, India and commissioned by the Ministry of Labour and Employment,  Government of India, 2013  August to December .
• Member , Advisory Group of the Study “Global Downturn and the Export Sector in India: Impact on Productivity and Employment”, done by V.V.G. National Labour Institute, NOIDA, India and commissioned by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, 2009 February
• Associate Editor, Indian Economic Journal, 2016-2020
• Editoral Member, Innovation and Development
• Editoral Member, Migration and Development
• Advisory Board, Indian Journal of Human Development, 2020
• Member, Executive Committee of the Indian Society of Labour Economics, 2020-21
• Associate Coordinator M.Phil programme 2011-2017
• Associate Coordinator integrated M.Phil/Ph.D programme 2018
• Editor, The Chronicle, CDS, 2019
• Member, Staff Council, CDS 2018
• Member ICC, CASH, CDS 2017
• Convenor, M.Phil review committee, 2017
• Member, MA and other academic programmes review committee CDS , 2016
• Convenor, Committee to review the new MPhil curriculum, 2016
• Convenor, Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) of MA, M.Phil and Ph.D programmes at CDS 2012 to 2014