An Economics Genius from a Small City

After having a look at the achievements of Ravi Batra, it would be hard for most of us to wrap our heads around the fact he was actually born in a small city of Punjab, during the British period in India. His career is living proof of the popular saying, "Knowledge is Power."

Dr. Ravi Batra, recipient of the Ig Noble Prize; Image Source: Texas Monthly

"Ravi Batra has made an outstanding reputation in the United States as an international economic theorist in the best Western tradition." - Leonard Silk, New York Times

It was the 27th of June, 1943. In a small city named Multan in Punjab, Raveendra Nath "Ravi" Batra, the renowned Indian-American author, economist and professor, was born. No one could tell that a boy from a remote corner of the world would go on to become this famous, but there he was.

Unlike others, it was Dr Batra’s education that brought him fame. He obtained his B.A. degree from Punjab University, followed by an M.A. in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. He decided to educate himself even more, and got his Phd from Southern Illinois University. After years of working as assistant professor, he finally began working as a professor at a young age of 30.

For such a knowledgeable personality, it was easy to gather fame. He eventually began authoring books and formulating economic predictions, which he accredited to his mentor Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, who was a philosopher.

After meeting P.R. Sarkar, his mentor, Dr. Batra was quick to change his focus from theoretical economics to history, to follow the path of his mentor. It was through his contribution that economists today know the concept of “maximum share of wealth being accumulated with the 1% rich of the society.”

Not all of his predictions came true. A full scale economic depression was predicted by him in the US, which did not end up happening. However, like many others, he did have his breakthrough.

In the 90s, he had predicted the downfall of Communism, which actually came true very soon. This made him world famous, he began working as a economic commentator, right after that. He has been accredited, thereafter, to having made even more predictions, based on historical events and managed to merge it with the concepts of economics. His bestsellers like “End Unemployment Now” are still widely read, he is truly an underrated genius in the field of Economics and History. These days, Dr Batra speaks in webinars and sessions and mostly spends his time speaking on radio shows, and making more predictions, like he always has!