Stata
Ashish Kamra
Senior Program Manager (PMU Lead)
New Delhi
Summary
Research Manager with experience of data management and project implementation in agriculture economics research. Analytical professional comfortable in working with data, backed by training in quantitative research and Development Studies.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
3
3
Languages
Work History
Senior Program Manager (PMU Lead)
Precision Development (PxD)
04.2024 - Current
- Leading a Project Management Unit (PMU) based out of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India, on scaling digital agriculture products.
- Managing a cross-functional team of program, research and technology domains to deliver high-quality products within scope and budget constraints.
- Providing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning support to the Ministry.
- Facilitated the creation of administrative structures within the Ministry to improve decision making on AI in Agriculture.
Research Manager
Precision Development (PxD)
07.2022 - 04.2024
- Led a Project Management Unit (PMU) based out of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India, on scaling digital agriculture products.
- Managed scoping activities to design multiple RCTs evaluating digital advisory services for smallholder farmers in India and other developing countries.
- Managed a research pilot to collect agriculture data from the field in a crowdsourced manner.
- Assisted in designing multiple concept-notes for primary research projects including creation of budgets.
Senior Research and Operations Associate
Precision Development (PxD)
07.2020 - 07.2022
- Undertook scoping activities to design an RCT evaluating digital advisory services for smallholder farmers in India
- Implemented a primary research project to collect agriculture data from the field in a crowdsourced manner.
- Designed and implemented research to understand gendered division of labour for livestock activities undertaken by smallholder farmers in the state of Odisha, India
- Maintained data systems for collecting primary surveys (through ODK's) and implemented mobile phone based advisory services for around 40,000 smallholder farmers in West Bengal, India
- Designed and implemented phone surveys including development of questionnaire, training of surveyors, and creating backchecks and High Frequency Checks (HFC) system.
- Organized, cleaned and analyzed primary data collected through surveys.
- Undertook literature reviews.
- Designed evaluation programmes including Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT).
- Created reports and briefs for internal and external stakeholders.
Research and Operations Associate
Precision Agriculture for Development
07.2019 - 07.2020
- Created data management system to implement mobile phone based advisory services for smallholder farmers in West Bengal.
- Successfully transitioned the project team to remote working by shifting to an ODK based data collection system from SQL server based system.
- Implemented an impact evaluation in the form of Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) including designing of experiment and analyzing its results.
Research Fellow/Intern
Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) Research Foundation
04.2018 - 05.2018
- Worked on plot level agriculture datasets to provide a comprehensive analysis of Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy (agriculture pricing policy) of Government of India.
- Published a research paper titled ‘Underestimation of Farm Costs: A Note on the Methodology of the CACP' in a peer-reviewed journal 'Review of Agrarian Studies' .
Research Intern
Indian Statistical Institute
10.2017 - 11.2017
- Provided research inputs in the form of case studies for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report on ‘Multi-stakeholder Partnerships to Finance and Improve Food Security and Nutrition in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda'.
Business Analyst
Shopclues Inc.
12.2016 - 06.2017
- Designed and executed data backed policies to optimize merchant acquisition, retention and service in e-commerce industry.
Trainee Decision Scientist
Mu Sigma Inc.
08.2013 - 04.2014
- Worked on Big Data for clients based in Insurance, Pharmaceutical and Retail sector.
- Focused on creating and monitoring evidence based solutions for business problems.
Education
Master of Arts - Development Studies
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Mumbai, India 08.2017 - 2019.06
Bachelor of Engineering - Electronics And Electrical Communication
Punjab Engineering College
Chandigarh, India 08.2009 - 2013.05
Skills
- Data management
Econometrics
Project Management
Survey management
Academic writing
Impact evaluation
Software
MS Excel
ODK
R
SQL
SPSS
GAMS
UCINET
Publications
- Kamra, Ashish. "Cost of Cultivation and Profitability in Indian Agriculture: A Plot-level Analysis." In Distress in the Fields: Indian Agriculture After Economic Liberalisation. Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2022.
- Chavan, Pallavi and Ashish Kamra. "Financial Inclusion in Rural India: An Assessment Based on Secondary Data." Research Analysis and Synthesis, 2022. Available at: https://ras.org.in/print/financial_inclusion_in_rural_india (accessed July 1, 2023).
- Kamra, Ashish, and R. Ramakumar. "Underestimation of farm costs: a note on the methodology of the CACP." Review of Agrarian Studies 9, no. 2369-2020-1977 (2019).
Timeline
Senior Program Manager (PMU Lead)
Precision Development (PxD)
04.2024 - Current
Research Manager
Precision Development (PxD)
07.2022 - 04.2024
Senior Research and Operations Associate
Precision Development (PxD)
07.2020 - 07.2022
Research and Operations Associate
Precision Agriculture for Development
07.2019 - 07.2020
Research Fellow/Intern
Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) Research Foundation
04.2018 - 05.2018
Research Intern
Indian Statistical Institute
10.2017 - 11.2017
Master of Arts - Development Studies
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
08.2017 - 2019.06
Business Analyst
Shopclues Inc.
12.2016 - 06.2017
Trainee Decision Scientist
Mu Sigma Inc.
08.2013 - 04.2014
Bachelor of Engineering - Electronics And Electrical Communication
Punjab Engineering College
08.2009 - 2013.05
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