Sandhya S. Iyer is a development economist with over sixteen years of teaching and research experience focusing on poverty, inequality, human development, informal sector workers, and social protection in developing countries. She serves as Chairperson of the Centre for Public Policy, Habitat and Human Development at the School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

She also leads the Social Impact Assessment Cell at TISS, conducting studies for governments, public sector enterprises, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. In addition, she heads research on the Sustainable Development Goals at the institute, focusing on localisation across India, the Global South, and G20 countries. She teaches the course Human Development in an Unequal World.

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