Naresh is an economist with the South Asia Poverty and Equity team at the World Bank.  He has ten years of experience in applied economics, in topics that range from macro to micro. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California Santa Cruz and his M.A. from the Delhi School of Economics. Naresh's areas of specialization include poverty, inequality, gender, food security, labor market dynamics, and the economic participation of vulnerable groups. He possesses extensive experience in generating compelling evidence to inform public policy decisions. Before joining the Ph.D. program, Naresh worked at the International Monetary Fund for eight years, where he focused on inclusive growth, labor market dynamics, and inequality, among other areas.