In Memory of Dr. Isher Ahluwalia

All of us at the Emerging Markets Forum were saddened to learn of passing away of Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia. She was one of India’s most distinguished economists and a close friend of our Forum for years.

She is a graduate of Presidency College and Delhi School of Economics, and received her PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr Ahluwalia is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan. After starting her career at the International Monetary Fund, Ahluwalia returned to India where she authored two landmark books—Industrial Growth in India: Stagnation since the Mid-Sixties and Productivity and Growth in Indian Manufacturing. She was a professor at the Centre for Policy Research, and then director, and later chairperson, of ICRIER. Over the last decade and a half, she has built ICRIER into a leading global think tank.

She was a regular participant and speaker at our Forum. We were privileged to have her in so many of our Forum meetings, to have listened to her impassioned but always thoughtful interventions, and to have learned so much from her.    

Message from Mr. Montek Ahluwalia:

Thank you for the lovely bouquet Which arrived from the EMF with a condolence message signed by you and your EMF co-chairs, as well as others from the EMF. It was a very touching message and brought back memories of the many EMF meetings you have invited us to attend in which we participated and enjoyed hugely.

I know Isher found the EMFvmeetings very stimulating and an invaluable forum for articulating the perceptions of emerging market countries in a forum that had many distinguished representatives from the developed world. She also enjoyed the one-to-one meetings with so many old friends including Michel Camdessus, Mr Kuroda, Mr Watanabe,  Mr Garcia and others.

The EMF condolence message filled out an important aspect of Isher’s multifarious connections around the world.

As I don’t have everyone’s email ID I am copying this message to Sylvie with the request that she circulate it to all the signatories with my personal thanks to each one of them. I hope to convey those thanks personally when the world has become sufficiently normal to allow personal meetings again.

With warm regards and thanks again for thinking of us in this difficult time.

Montek Ahluwalia

Message from our colleagues:

Deeply saddened by the passing of Isher; what a wonderful person, and may she rest in peace. Vinod Thomas

All of us at the Emerging Markets Forum were truly saddened to learn of the passing away of our friend Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia. There are no words to express how sorry we are at you are at your immense loss. We were privileged to have her had in so many of our Forum meetings, to have listened to her impassioned but always thoughtful interventions, and to have learned so much from her. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. May Sat Guru grant her Eternal Peace. Harinder Kohli

It is a  great loss!! She was an outstanding and influential intellectual and also a   wonderful human being. Enrique Garcia