Prof. T.S. Papola, a former Director and currently Honorary Professor, at the institute, is a development economist with over four decades of experience in teaching, research and advisory assignments. He specialises in the areas of labour and employment, development planning, industrial economics, regional development and enterprise development. He has taught at the Universities of Lucknow and Bombay, Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad), and University of Cambridge, U.K. He was Director, Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow for ten years (1977–1987) and an Advisor with Planning Commission, Government of India for eight years (1987–1995). He also worked for a year as Professor, Delhi Government Chair in Human Development at Institute for Human Development, New Delhi where he continues to be a Visiting Professor. He worked as Head, Mountain Enterprises and Infrastructure Division at International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu for six and half years (1996–2002) where he was responsible for developing and carrying out a programme of studies and documentation, consultation and advisory services in enterprise development in the mountain areas of Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. At ISID, he is currently coordinating a three-year Research Programme on Structural Changes, Industry and Employment sponsored by ICSSR.

Dr Papola has written extensively in the areas of his specialisation. He has published 14 books and over 80 research papers in reputed journals. Books authored and edited by him include Locational Diversification of Industries, Rural Industrialisation, Wage Structure and Labour Mobility in a Local Labour Market, Informal Sector in a Developing Economy, Gender and Employment in India and Growth, Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Resource Management in the Mountain Areas of South Asia. He has recently edited a ten volume series on Labour Regulation in Indian Industry, in which he has also authored two volumes.

Dr Papola has been Chairman/Member of several State and National level bodies including Chairman of U.P. Taxation Enquiry Committee (1983–84); Member, State Planning Board, U.P. (1980–86); and Member, Indian Council for Social Science Research, New Delhi (1982–1988). He was also a Member (part-time) of the National Commission on Enterprises in Unorganised Sector, appointed by Government of India (2005–2009). Currently, he is a member of the Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) chaired by the Prime Minister. He has worked in consultative and advisory capacities with international organisations such as ILO, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNICEF and UNDP and has been on advisory missions and assignments in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Gambia, the Phillipines and Vietnam.

Dr Papola was President, Indian Society of Labour Economics, an association of teachers, researchers and practitioners in the field of labour in India, during 1994–2008. He was also President of the Indian Economic Association, the oldest and the largest representative body of economists in India, for the year 2005–2006. Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow has honoured him by appointing as Professor Emeritus.

Dr Papola was awarded VKRV Rao Young Social Scientist Prize for outstanding contribution in Economics in 1984. He was also conferred VKRV Rao Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to Social Science by Indian Social Science Association and Kautilya Award by UP-Uttarakhand Economic Association in 2007.