Nikhar Gaikwad’s research interests span international and comparative political economy, with a focus on the politics of economic policymaking, trade and migration, business-state relations, and identity. He has a regional specialization in India, which he studies in comparative perspective with Brazil and other democracies.
His articles have been published or are forthcoming in the American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, and the Quarterly Journal of Political Science. His research has been funded by the Social Science Research Council, International Growth Center, Tobin Project, Institution for Social and Policy Studies, and Evidence in Governance and Politics, among other organizations. He received the David A. Lake Award for the Best Paper presented at the 2014 International Political Economy Society Annual Meeting.
Prior to joining Columbia University, he was a Fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University. He has worked at Cornerstone Research, an economics and finance research firm.