Rakesh Basant

Prof. Rakesh Basant is an Indian economist and Professor at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He was formerly a consultant with World Bank. Currently, he heads the Center for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad along with Sanjeev Bikhchandani.

After an M.A. in Economics from Rajasthan University, Jaipur (India), Rakesh Basant obtained a M.Phil. in Applied Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India), in 1981. He eventually completed his PhD. in Economics from Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, in 1990, with a thesis entitled "Technology Diffusion in an Agrarian Economy: A Study of Agro Mechanical Technology in Gujarat.

Basant has been Professor of Economics at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He was among the 3 people considered for the position of Director for the institute.

Basant is member of Sachar Committee, wherein he has expressed views against the disregard for committee's terms and references.