Purendra Prasad

Purendra Prasad is a senior research fellow and former Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Chair at the School of Public Policy and professor of sociology at the University of Hyderabad, India. He has previously held faculty positions at the Centre for Social Studies (CSS) in Surat and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai. Notably, Prasad was a British Council grantee for medical anthropology research at Brunel University, West London (1999-2000), and contributed to the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s (EERI) California, Recovery and Reconnaissance team following the 2001 Bhuj Gujarat Earthquake.

Prasad’s research spans critical agrarian studies, environmental studies, political economy of health and development, and urban studies. His recent work investigates wealth accumulation and the role of business elites in India, forming part of a larger comparative project on wealth inequality across South Africa, Brazil, and India. His latest book, Politics of the Anthropocene and Climate Crisis in India: Seeking Socio-Ecological Transformations (Routledge UK, 2025, co-edited, forthcoming), reflects his ongoing focus on climate justice, political power and social inequalities.

In addition to his academic work, Prasad serves on the editorial advisory committee of Sociological Bulletin (Sage Publications) and is an elected member of the board of governors at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru. He is also on the academic and ethical advisory boards of various institutions across India.