Kanika Mahajan wins Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award 2026

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 21 April 2026

• Kanika Mahajan wins Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award 2026
• Honoured for research on labour, gender, and inequality
• Receives 1 lakh and will deliver memorial lecture

The Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award for 2026 has been awarded to Associate Professor of Economics at Ashoka University, Kanika Mahajan, for her work in Development Studies. The annual award is given by Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust Foundation, and acknowledges individuals under the age of 45, whose research helps shape policy and discourse in India’s development context.

The award comes with a citation and a cash prize of 1 Lakh. Additionally, Mahajan will also be asked to present the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Memorial Lecture in August 2026.

Mahajan’s area of research is Labour Economics, Gender, and Firm Dynamics, and she specifically examines the structural barriers that women face in the Indian labour force, as well as Wage Inequality, and how Firms adapt to Economic Change. The results of her research have been published in numerous journals, and have also formed part of policy dialogue around Inclusive Growth.

“It is an honour to receive the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award… I hope this recognition draws greater attention to the need for sustained research in these areas,” Kanika said.

The recognition comes as Ashoka University’s economics department was recently ranked No. 1 in India by Research Papers in Economics.

Ashwini Deshpande, Head of the Economics Department, said, “Kanika’s recognition is well-deserved, Her work exemplifies rigorous, policy-relevant research.”

Vice-Chancellor Somak Raychaudhury added that the award reflects the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary and socially relevant research.

Ashoka’s Centre for Economic Data and Analysis continues to support research and public engagement using data related to important economic issues like labor markets and issues related to gender equality.