Professor, Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Dr. Samapti Guha is a distinguished academic and practitioner with over 18 years of experience in livelihoods, social entrepreneurship, and gender-inclusive development. She currently serves as Professor at the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship (CSE), TISS, where she focuses on creating sustainable social impact through research, teaching, and incubation of social enterprises. Her work spans advancing income-generation strategies, fostering entrepreneurship, and integrating gender perspectives in development programs. She has been instrumental in designing and implementing innovative frameworks for microfinance, SHG-linked interventions, and social business incubation, with a particular emphasis on empowering women and marginalized communities in both rural and urban contexts.
Dr. Guha’s research and professional expertise are strengthened by her post-doctoral studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she studied the impact of competition on microfinance beneficiaries. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics with a specialization in Microfinance from Jadavpur University. Prior to her tenure at TISS, she worked as a Research Associate at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), and the Institute of Dalit Studies, contributing to evidence-based research in financial inclusion and social policy.
At TISS, Dr. Guha has held various academic and leadership positions, including Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Programme Coordinator, mentoring students and supporting capacity-building initiatives in social entrepreneurship, CSR, and sustainability. She regularly conducts workshops, webinars, and masterclasses on topics such as women’s entrepreneurship, innovative CSR practices, social enterprise design, and impact assessment. Dr. Guha is a prolific contributor to research publications, policy discourse, and curriculum development, making her a recognized authority on livelihoods, gender inclusion, financial tools, and entrepreneurship in the Indian development context.
Her work is particularly notable for bridging rigorous academic research with practical interventions, helping organizations design scalable, gender-sensitive livelihood programs, foster social enterprise growth, and promote inclusive economic participation.
Expert: Labour Market
