Since the beginning of my Master’s degree in Economics at the Mumbai School of Economics and

Public Policy, I have felt that straightforward solutions to complex problems offered by the classical
and neoclassical schools of thought correspond to but a fraction of reality, rather serving the purpose
of setting a base for further understanding. Curiosity towards the world coupled with a willingness to
dig deeper made me interested in studying further and motivated me to read about different schools of
thought which eventually spurred me to apply for a doctorate degree in Economics after completing
my graduate degree.I have always harbored an intention to understand the workings of the society in
which we live, in order to solve problems within my capacity. It is thus my ambition to pursue a
doctorate in Economics, for I have come to understand it as being the optimum path to gaining
enough knowledge to do so. What has motivated me to choose Behavioral Economics is that it studies
various economic theories without the presumption that all human beings are rational in their actions.
I am very interested in studying Economics and human behavior from this standpoint as it appears to
best explain any real-world scenario. I also feel that understanding a general pattern in human
behavior in different scenarios and societies may help us find out why people act in certain ways in
specific situations. This would enable me to better understand and possibly mitigate the opposition to
economically sound policies that can be seen in different parts of the world.

I was first exposed to Economics while pursuing my undergraduate studies in Commerce where I had
three papers of basic Economics which taught me concepts such as utility, demand and supply,
international trade etc. I was immediately fascinated by the simple yet elegant way in which they
explained everything from the daily goings on, to their macroeconomic implications on the economy.
It was clear to me then, on what I wanted to learn, study, and possibly pursue as a career for the rest of
my life. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, I took a year’s break to study certain
concepts in Economics that would make me eligible to apply for a Master's program. During this time
I studied multivariate calculus, matrix algebra, consumer choice, aggregate demand and aggregate
supply, and a few other concepts which helped me to pursue the Masters of Arts in Economics
program offered by the Mumbai School of Economics and Public Policy (MSEPP). I also earned a
bachelor’s degree in Hindustani classical vocal from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, one
of the premier institutions in the study of Indian classical art forms.

During my graduate course, I was taught many new concepts and a newer and more relevant
interpretation of concepts that I had already learned. While Microeconomics, Macroeconomics,
Econometrics, and Maths gave me an idea of how to technically analyze social problems,
Development Economics and Public Economics enlightened me on how these theories manifest
themselves in terms of public policy outcomes. A study of the mechanics through which people arrive
at their preferred consumption bundle, Walras’ Tatonnement process, the fundamental theorems of
social welfare, and game theory left me in awe as they eloquently analyzed and formalized the
workings of the human mind which takes the myriad economic and social constraints into account
before making a decision that maximizes utility. Through concepts such as IS-LM, Aggregate
Demand and Aggregate Supply, and the Inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation, I
was able to learn the workings of the Government, the Central Bank, and other organizations at the
national level which gave me a broader understanding of the economy as a whole.

By the end of the third semester of my graduate course, I started working on my dissertation in the
Aviation sector in India. The topic assigned to me was “Impact of Air Traffic Control on Revenue
Generation by Airline Carriers in India”. The paper was divided into two parts; Part one contained a
study of the variance in the operating revenues generated by five of the most operated airline carriers
in India namely, IndiGo, Jet Airways (India), Air India, Go Air and SpiceJet through their operations
in four of the ten busiest airports in the country namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata. My
objective here was to determine whether there is a significant difference in the operating revenues
generated by the five chosen airline carriers through their operations in the four chosen airports. The
null hypothesis being that there is. The second part of the paper dealt with estimating the losses in
operating revenues that the carriers would have to face in a hypothetical scenario of an Air Traffic
Control strike of one day, in any or all of the four selected airports.

I used the two-factor ANOVA (Without replication) to analyze the variance in the operating revenues
generated by the chosen airline carriers through their operations in the selected airports. I was
successful in rejecting the Null Hypothesis H0 in favor of the Alternate Hypothesis H1.

After estimating the extent of losses that the airline carriers would have to face, the paper concluded
with two key recommendations which could mitigate the possibility of an ATC strike namely,
‘Increase the number of Air Traffic Operators’ and ‘Privatize Air Traffic Control’.

After completing my graduate course in Economics, I worked as a Subject Matter Expert in

Economics at ‘MRCC solutions’ for four months. My job entailed content creation in the form of
drafting and creating e-learning modules which supplemented economics textbooks used at the
graduate and undergraduate levels in the U.S. The textbooks were written by prominent authors in the
subjects of Economics, Econometrics, and Statistics. It was challenging as I got the opportunity to
augment my understanding of the aforementioned domains and their application in different
scenarios.My overall experience thus far has cemented my desire to become a professor of economics
and pursue a career in academia. To this effect, I have decided to earn a Doctorate in Microeconomics
and Behavioral economics. However, my intention is to learn more about the diverse schools of
thought therein, before I narrow down on my preferred area of research.

I, therefore, believe that pursuing a doctorate degree would enable me to learn more, develop my
intellect, and also create a solid foundation for my future in academia. Towards this goal, I have
chosen to apply for the Ph.D. program in Economics at the University of Warwick, as this institution
has always had an outstanding academic reputation and the program I have opted for offers
comprehensive courses in the field of Economics conducted by experienced and reputed scholars. The
university’s integrated MResPh.D. program is specifically designed for students who wish to build a
career in academia and thus, would be a perfect fit for me. Moreover, being one of the very few
universities where research on Microeconomics is conducted, choosing to pursue my doctorate at your
university was a straight-forward decision. Coming to the curriculum, I am particularly interested in
focusing on courses such as Behavioral Economics, Econometrics, Political Economy, Public
Economics, and Microeconomics.

I am certain that pursuing this course at the University of Warwick would prepare me well for a future
where I could contribute positively to society. I firmly believe that I will be able to do well in the
program. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to being a part of your scholastic
community.