Dr Dhanya MB is an economist working as Fellow (Faculty) at VV Giri National Labour Institute. She has nearly two decades of research experience in the domain of labour market studies and has done her PhD in Economics on the subject of Self-Employment through microfinance and Rural Women Empowerment (2004-2008). She is the Coordinator of the Centre for Labour Market Studies and Integrated Labour History Research Programme, two of the major research centres of the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI). Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India deputed Dr Dhanya to look after the work of India’s G20 Presidency 2022-23 in addition to VVGNLI’s existing work from August 2022. She has been involved in policy initiatives of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India on various subjects such as Working Group member on ratification of ILO Convention-Forced Labour Protocol (2018), Drafting of National Employment Policy (2018-19), Member of Tripartite Working Group to facilitate the process of the ratification of the ILO convention No 87 & 98 (2013-14), prepared issue paper on gig and platform economy and social protection for EWG G20 India Presidency 2022-23 to mention a few. She represented India (2022) in the BRICS country labour research institute network’s seminar hosted by the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security, China and delivered a presentation on the Employment and income Policies of India in the context of the post-pandemic period.

She has authored/submitted monographs/reports and also coedited books in the area of Labour Market studies including Gig and Platform Workers: Vision 2047 (2022, MoLE), ‘Post Covid-19 Lockdown Scenario of Youth Unemployment in India’ (2020, UNICEF & RGNIYD); ‘Promoting Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship: A Study with Special focus on ‘Startups’ (2020, VVGNLI); ‘Quality Employment Generation in Micro and Small enterprises (MSEs) in India: Strategies and way forward’ (2018, VVGNLI); ‘Worker’s Rights and Practices in the Contemporary Scenario: an overview’ (2014, VVGNLI), ‘Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and informal economy in India’ (2013, VVGNLI); and ‘Engendering Gender Statistics’ (2012, VVGNLI).

She has been invited as resource person/guest faculty for delivering lectures by various academic institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Ambedkar University, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDNASS), National Institute of Educational Planning & Administration (NEUPA), National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development (NILERD), National Institute for Career Service (NICS), Institute of Technology and Science (ITS) to mention a few. She also delivered lectures in various national and international programmes organized by VVGNLI and its Regional Collaborative Institutions.

She is also associated as Reviewer of the Journal published by Elsevier; Article editor of Sage Open Journal; Panel of the expert to evaluate PhD theses of universities etc. She also has been involved in coordinating various national and international training programmes on different thematic areas like Research methods on Gender, poverty and informal economy, Course on various methods in Microfinance Research, Gender issues in Labour, Youth Employability Skills, Leadership Development, Social Security, Gender issues in the world of work, Strengthening Awareness on Labour Issues and Laws about Women etc. In addition, she has also coordinated national-level workshops/seminars on different areas related to labour and employment. She has also been involved in offering comments for 316 Session of Governing Body of ILO on social protection floors and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work; prepared background material for the 101 ILC at Geneva; examined the ratification of the ILO conventions No 98, 87, 138 &182, etc; to mention a few.

She also published several research articles in different journals at the national and international levels and chapters in edited books. Some of her article publications include:

Small firms in the labour market and youth employment provisions: Does innovation matter? (Routledge, forthcoming); Youth Employment, labour market and SDGs: Cross-cutting policy measures(Routledge, forthcoming), Employment, Remuneration and Forced Labour: Issues and Concerns (Journal of Extension& Research, 2019), Labour Force Participation, Composition, Skill Requirement and Future Challenges: An investigation for the hill state Uttarakhand (Gyan Books, New Delhi 2017), Engendering Labour Statistics: A Cross Country Comparison of Gender Differentiated Statistics (Social Change-Sage publications, 2014), Changing Trends of Gender in Labour Force: Exploring through Labour Statistics (Manpower Journal- New Delhi, 2012), Micro Credit, Rural Women Empowerment and Health: Perspectives on Kerala (Manpower journal- New Delhi), Women Entrepreneurship through Microfinance (Labour and Development- 2011), Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing social issues – perspectives from Capability Approach (Macmillan publisher-New Delhi, 2011), Multidimensional Poverty Index: Relevance and application in Indian Context (Allied Publishers-New Delhi, 2011), Youth empowerment through microfinance: A case study on Yuvashree programme of Rural Kerala (Global Research Publications-New Delhi, 2011), Micro finance, Women Empowerment and Banking Habit: Perspectives on Kerala (THE MicroFINANCE REVIEW, 2010), Women empowerment and microfinance: Case study from Kerala (MPRA Paper-Germany, 2010), Human Rights and Gender Equality (Discovery Publishers- New Delhi 2009), Indian Youth and Demographic Transition (SSRN Paper- New York, 2010), Book review on Globalisation, Development and Transition: Conversations with Eminent Economists (Capital & Class- UK, 2011).

She has presented research papers and participated in various national and international conferences/consultations organized by IGIDR, ILO, World Bank, Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security (CALSS), PDNASS, CWDS, IRMA, UN Women, IJM,RGNIYD, French Institute, Institute of Public Enterprises, National Law University and Judicial Academy, National Commission for Women, Ministry of Labour & Employment, British Council, NIEPA, CDS, Sharda University etc. on various themes like Indebtedness and Social Exclusion, Relevance of Policy Reforms on Development: Challenges before Emerging Economies, Redesigning social science research: Suitable methodologies for public action. She is also involved in the course writing for Masters Programme in Labour and Development (IGNOU, New Delhi). She has also undergone training in the areas of “Private-sector Engagement for Livelihoods and Employment Opportunities of Vulnerable Groups in Fragile, Conflict-Affected and Emergency Situations” by ILO-ITC, Turin; “Short Course on Research Skills for South Asia” by IZA/FCDO, Germany; ‘Promotion of Youth Employment in Fragile Settings’, ‘Designing and implementing effective wage policies’, jointly organized by International Training Centre (ITC)-Turin and ILO- Delhi; and ‘Management of Social Security Systems’ organized by PDNASS. She was on the editorial board of Awards Digest, Journal of Labour legislation during 2011-15.

Her research deals with various issues related to Labour & Employment, mainly includes Employment Policy, Gig and Platform workers; Entrepreneurship and Startups, Labour Economics, Migration; Gender issues in Labour and Public Policy.