Prateek Raj

Prateek Raj is an Indian social scientist, economic historian, and public commentator based at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. Raj's research focuses on the intersection of technology, institutions, and markets, with a particular emphasis on economic history and the evolution of business and markets. He is also recognized for his advocacy on social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and efforts to combat hate speech in India. at the Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Academic career
Raj's research is notable for its interdisciplinary approach studying the interface between technology and society combining historical analysis with quantitative and case methods. His work on income disparities faced by Dalit business owners has received significant media coverage for its policy implications. Raj has received notable research grants including from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and India's ICSSR for research on UK-India trade relations, and from the Government of Uttar Pradesh for documenting the 2019 Kumbh Mela. He offers massive open online courses (MOOCs) on evolution of business and market and Swayam.
Raj has co-authored academic reports on topics such as journalism in the age digital platforms for the Stigler Center tabled at the US Congress, and a vision for Karnataka in 2047, for the Confederation of Indian Industry. He co-chaired the inaugural India Strategy Conference 2023, a flagship event co-organized by IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, Indian School of Business, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and is a regular speaker at industry bodies like the CII, the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the World Health Parliament.
Other ventures
Beyond academia, Raj frequently writes on topics related to economic growth and regional inequality in India and is a proponent of developing economic clusters and guaranteeing universal basic wealth. His commentary on the economy of the Hindi heartland and southern India has been featured in major media outlets, and he has participated in interviews and discussions on these topics with leading news organizations.
Raj is a prominent academic from the Indian Institutes of Management system writing in support of queer rights in India and is a vocal critic of hate speech and the role of digital platforms in amplifying divisive rhetoric. In an open-letter he co-authored he called for corporations to defund platforms that promote harmful content.
Raj was the co-founder of Project Chhaav, an initiative to provide healthcare kits to rural health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the Action to Improve Representation (AIR) Collective, which supports underrepresented scholars in management academia in India.

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