Dr. Madhu Verma is the Chief Economist at WRI India. An Environment and Developmental Economist, and Policy Analyst, Dr. Verma’s work at WRI India focuses on providing the thread of Economics across various ongoing and new programs in India, supporting the global Economics team and leading research on ‘Economic Valuation of Ecosystems and Green Accounting’ and to bring this body of knowledge in the radar of policymakers and other stakeholders. She has 35 years of work experience with several ministries, national and international institutes, UN bodies, etc. and has more than 40 publications in international and national journals and more than 45 project reports.

Dr. Verma is a Biologocal Sciences graduate, an M.A., M. Phil in Economics with specialisation in Regional Planning and Economic Growth. She holds a Ph.D. from Bhopal University in Industrial Economics. She is a Fulbright Nehru Environmental Leadership Fellow (2012); a Leadership in Environment & Development Fellow (LEAD International), London; a Visiting Professor at University of Massachusetts (Amherst) (2011); and an INSEE Fellow (Indian National Society for Ecological Economics, 2019). She is currently a Board member at the International Society for Ecological Economics (2020-21).

She has been an expert/team member/contributing author/ lead author in several international reports like the UN’s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report (2004-06); The Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity (TEEB) Reports (2007-11); and the Global Biodiversity Assessment Report of the Inter-Governmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) (2013-19).

Her husband Justice Alok Verma is a retired High Court Judge and currently engaged in Arbitration and Mediation. Dr. Verma’s daughter Mallika is a Freelance Textile Designer in Paris and son Eshan is a Machine Learing Engineer with Apple in California. Dr. Verma is a trained vocal singer, and is interested in interior designing and cooking. She is currently working on her book titled “What I Cook for My Family - From the Desk of a Working Woman”. She is based out of Delhi.