Amiya Kumar Bagchi (1936 – 28 November 2024) was an Indian political economist.

Life and career

His academic career began when he started teaching in Presidency College, Kolkata. In the 1960s, he taught in the Faculty of Economics in Cambridge (where he was Fellow of Jesus College), but resigned his post in 1969, to resume his academic career in Presidency College, Kolkata. In 1974 he joined the newly founded Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. Bagchi specialised in the history of Indian banking and finance, and acted as Official Historian of the State Bank of India (SBI) from 1976 to 1998; he played a leading role in ensuring that the unique archives of SBI are preserved for posterity. After retiring as Reserve Bank of India professor from the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta in 2001, he became the founder-director of the Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata. Bagchi died on 28 November 2024.

Awards and honours

In 2005, Bagchi was awarded the Padma Shri.

Edited and co-edited volumes

Chapters in books