Economist / research analyst
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
think tanks, banks, NITI
- Route in
- Typically Master of Arts. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹25,000 – ₹50,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Corporate finance departments, CA and audit firms, Banks and financial institutions, Colleges and universities
What the work involves
Day to day
Analysing economic questions for an institution - building and interpreting data, modelling, writing research notes and reports, and briefing decision-makers in banks, think tanks, consultancies or government bodies.
Who this suits
Fit
Economics postgraduates with real quantitative and writing ability. India's policy research and financial research sectors have both expanded, and the work puts you close to questions that actually get decided.
The honest reality
Read this one
A master's is the minimum and a doctorate is expected for senior research roles. Positions are concentrated in a few cities and institutions, so the market is small and depends significantly on academic networks. Think tank funding shapes which questions get asked, and findings that are commercially or politically inconvenient may go nowhere. Indian data quality is often poor, and working around its gaps takes more time than the analysis.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 12 with Mathematics Required
Mathematics is genuinely required. Economics without it closes the strongest postgraduate programmes.
BA or B.Sc Economics with honours Required
Three years, with as much mathematics and statistics as the programme allows.
MA Economics from a strong department Required
Two years. Delhi School of Economics, ISI, JNU, IGIDR, Ashoka or an equivalent. For research economics the department genuinely determines access, and being honest about that is more useful than pretending otherwise.
Build the applied toolkit Required
Econometrics, and Stata, R or Python. Economists who can actually handle data are hired quickly; those who cannot are competing with everyone else who holds the degree.
Work as a research analyst Required
Think tanks, RBI and government research units, rating agencies, banks or international organisations. Research assistance to a good economist is the standard apprenticeship.
Ph.D., or applied economics roles Optional
A doctorate towards academia and senior research, or applied roles in policy, finance and consulting. The Indian Economic Service through UPSC is the government route.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
The roles this becomes
2 lanes out of the same starting point.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹25,000 – ₹50,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a Economist / research analyst?
The earliest entry point is postgraduate level.
Where does a Economist / research analyst usually work?
Corporate finance departments, CA and audit firms, Banks and financial institutions, Colleges and universities.
What does a Economist / research analyst earn to start?
25,000 - 50,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.