Centre for Management in Agriculture
Prof. Vidya Vemireddy is faculty at the Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA), Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). As a trained applied economist, her teaching, researchand consulting assignments cut across the domains of agriculture, food systems, climate, agricultural finance, and gender. She currently chairs the Gender Centre at IIMA and has led several research grants on gender and agriculture. She has led several projects examining farmer behavior, technology adoption in Indian Agriculture across ten states in India [Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare, Government of India], pathways through which women’s empowerment can enhance household and intra- household nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa and India; pathways to make agriculture climate resilient at the household level [CGIAR institutions]. With the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) at Cornell University, she has examined food consumption patterns at the intra-district level in India and continues to provide policy recommendations. Further, she has contributed to research and interventions on; adapting metrics of women’s empowerment index to the Indian context; examining financial inclusion of women in agriculture and integrating women self-help groups in food fortification initiatives.
In the domain of agriculture and food systems, she has written case studies, ranging from blockchain applications in agriculture; receivable financing; adoption of digital technologies; viability of Farmer Producer Organizations, the role of price discovery mechanisms and risk and resilience in agri-food systems. She has published her research in reputable international journals, policy papers and editorial columns.
Before joining IIMA in 2019, Prof. Vemireddy received her doctoral degree in Applied Economics and Management from the Cornell University, USA. During her Ph.D., She has been a TCI scholar at Cornell University. Prior to her Ph.D., she earned her master’s degree in Economics from Boston University and a Bachelor’s (Hons.) degree in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University.
Primary Area : Centre for Management in Agriculture
Email : vidyav@iima.ac.in
Phone : +91-79-7152 4953
Secretary : Vanitha Mudaliar
Phone : +91-79-7152 7912
Website : Personal Website
PhD, Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, 2014-2019
M.A. , Economics, Boston University, 2013-2014
B.A.(Hons.) , Economics, Lady Shri Ram College for Women (University of Delhi), 2009-2012
Agriculture and Food Policy, Nutrition, Gender
Agricultural Economics, Gender, Food and Nutrition Policy
Applied Microeconomics, International Development
Fieldwork Methods
Assistant Professor, Centre for Management in Agriculture, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Ahmedabad, [July 2019 – present]
Chairperson, Gender Centre, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Ahmedabad, [April 2022 – present]
Tata Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutriiton (TCI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (GoI), TARINA (Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture); Population Council, IIM- Ahmedabad, India, Cornell University and Boston University, Center for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) at IIM Ahmedabad, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), United Nations-Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDN), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala, Sweden.
Courses for MBA students
1. Agricultural Finance:
This course is a compulsory course offered to the final year MBA graduates in IIMA’s flagship Food and Agribusiness Management Program. This course seeks to develop an understanding of the agricultural finance environment, the major institutions involved, and the strategic financing issues. Besides introducing the agricultural finance environment, students get exposed to various new innovations in financial instruments and agribusiness valuation. Topics of risk management are also included within this course specifically designed for the agricultural context in India.
2. Food Systems Approach to Indian Agribusinesses:
This course is an elective offered to final year MBA graduates at IIMA. Given the issues related to malnutrition that plague India, connecting agriculture and nutrition is critical. This course introduces students to this framework and presents various existing and potential agribusiness opportunities. This course intends to develop systems thinking among students of agribusiness.
3. Food and Agribusiness (FAB)
Courses for PhD students
1. Applied Microeconomics for Food and Agribusiness:
The course focuses on advanced microeconomic theory and applications within the domain of food and agriculture. It aims to develop the understanding of the core concepts in consumer and producer theory and applications. Topics such as estimating demand and production function, welfare analysis, interdisciplinary applications etc. are discussed through a mix of lectures, empirical exercises and presentations. Students are exposed to current topics in the literature and equipped with tools to analyse (experimental, quasi-experimental, panel data methods etc.) complex empirical problems across different contexts. This course is an advanced level course and designed for students from second year onward with a background in microeconomics and econometrics.
2. Agricultural Management I & II
The objective of this course is to introduce advanced concepts of consumer behavior, demand, supply, economic systems, water and input management, agricultural marketing, risk analysis, development and institutional economics.
Agricultural Economics Research Association- India (AERA) [Executive Committee 2024, member], Indian Association for Agricultural Economics (International Association of Agricultural Economics (Member), American Economic Association (Member); American Agricultural Economic Association [present] Reviewer: Oxford Development Studies, Economic Modelling, Nature Food, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Food Security, Food Policy, Global Food Security, World Development, Applied Economics and Policy Perspectives, World Development
Chair of the committee
Muddasir Ahmad Akhoon [Three Essays on Agricultural Productivity and Technical Efficiency] Disha Bose [Non-farm employment & gender] Suruchi Singh [consumer behavior & marketing] Jannet John [Farmer Producer Companies] [co-chair]
Member of the committee
Shehzala [consumer behavior & marketing] Bhanu Pratap Singh [consumer behavior & marketing]
2014-2019 - Tata Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition.
2016-2018 - PhD dissertation field research, Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition, Cornell University.
2016 - Next generation delegate, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
