Dattatreya R Pendse was born on 6 September 1930/ 7 September 1969 in Pune, India. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics and mathematics from Pune University and a B.A. and an M.A. degree from Cambridge University. He was fondly called Dada Pendse by his friends and colleagues.

For twenty years, he was the Chief Economist to India’s Tata Group of Industries and to the Group Chairman, JRD Tata, and other senior Group directors. JRD considered him to be easily the most readable economist in the country. Before joining the Tatas, Pendse occupied senior positions in the Government of India in the Ministries of Finance and Commerce & Industry for over ten years.

After retirement from Tatas in 1991, Pendse was entrusted with many important assignments extending for several years. These included the Chief Consulting Economist to the Industrial Development Bank of India, Chief Consulting Economist to the World Gold Council, a member of the State Planning Board of the Government of Goa, a member of the State Planning Board of the Government of Maharashtra, a member of the International Advisory Group of Business Economists of the International Chamber of Commerce of Paris, and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Trans-National Research Organisation of the U.S.A.

He also used to run his one-man think tank ‘Centre for Economic Policy Advice’ from Mumbai. He passed away in May 2018 due to chronic illness.

1. Black Money and Budgets (Allied Publishers, 1989).
2. J.R.D: Mee Pahilele (in Marathi) (Rajhans Prakashan, 2004).
3. Giants by Any Measure: Sumant Moolgaokar & JRD (Parchure Prakashan Mandir, 2004).
4. Why is Indian Industry Stagnating? (Industrial Foundation, 1978).
5. Privatisation: Myths & Realities (Project for Economic Education).
6. Beyond The Giant: Personal Insight Into the Life of JRD Tata (National Book Trust of India, 2008).
7. Why Scarcities (Forum of Free Enterprise, 1974).
8. Statistical Outline of India, 1989-90 (Department of Economics and Statistics, Tata Services, 1989).
9. Recession in Indian Industry: Causes, Consequences & Prospects (Forum of Free Enterprise, 1975).
10. Concentration of Economic Power (Forum of Free Enterprise, 1972).
11. The Role of Donor Agencies in the Privatization Process (Asian Development Bank, 1985).
12. Economic Development of Backward Areas (Forum of Free Enterprise, 1976)