Professor Marika Vicziany is Professor of Asian Political Economy, former Director, Monash Asia Institute (MAI) and former Director, National Centre for South Asian Studies at Monash University. She is a specialist on India with 34 years of experience working on Indian economic development/ business, mass poverty, and regional security. Her inter-disciplinary research includes comparisons with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and China at the city, town and village levels. Professor Vicziany has extensive networks with key government, academic and media organisations in India.