Kiran Kumar Kakarlapudi is currently an Assistant Professor at Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT), Thiruvananthapuram. He holds a PhD degree in Economics from Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum. His research broadly focuses on applied development economics with an emphasis on finance and inclusion. He also researches on issues relating to innovation both at micro and macro level, and labour market impacts of innovation and technology. Previously he worked as a consultant at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in South and South-West Asia (SSWA) based in New Delhi where he was part of preparing inputs for Common Country Assessment (CCA) of Bangladesh and Maldives and a report on South Asia and COVID-19. He joined National Research Program on Plantation Development (NRPPD) at Centre for Development Studies as a post-doctoral fellow. His research has been published in various journals and edited volumes. He has presented his research at various national and international conferences both in India and abroad.