I am a Professor in the Department of Business Administration at Tezpur University, Assam, with over 28 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership. My work focuses on entrepreneurship development, rural livelihoods, tourism economics, managerial decision-making, and sustainable development, with a strong empirical emphasis on Northeast India with a list of publication including 40+ peer-reviewed research papers, along with books, book chapters, and conference contributions in SCOPUS and UGC-CARE indexed outlets.
My research spans tourism service quality, agripreneurship, flood governance, poverty measurement, rural market systems, microfinance, and gendered labour patterns. I have supervised 13 PhD scholars and led major projects funded by ICSSR, UGC-SAP, NABARD, Government of Assam, and international partners under the U.S.–India Partnership 2020 initiative.
I am actively engaged in teaching, policy discussions, community development, and academic training across institutions.
With the prime focus on Sustainable Regional Transformation based on rural development and sustainable livelihood determination I have been associated with an inter-linked process of academic and action research in poverty alleviation through systematic intervention of livelihood needs in tourism niches and ago-farm management along with vulnerabilities therein to have a comprehensive development intervention model.
This study aims to review and provide a comprehensive analysis on religious tourism from 1979 to 2024. It conducts a systematic literature review using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and other bibliometric analytical techniques. Using performance analysis, the study unpacks the research applications and methods used, the top contributing journals, countries, and regions of religious tourism. By applying factorial analysis and thematic evolution in R, the study presents thematic areas uncovered in religious tourism. Using science mapping, this article conducts a co-occurrence analysis to map the knowledge clusters in VOSviewer. Finally, the article also proposes directions for future research using content analysis.
This paper examined financial literacy services provided by banks to agripreneurs and the associated problems. Participants were 500 agripreneurs and 250 bank managers, selected using a multi-stage sampling design in Assam, a north-eastern state of India. The result showed that out of 19 identified variables of financial literacy services, the degree of awareness of agripreneurs by banks is marked very low in 17 variables. In 7-point rating scale, average score of lack of manpower, difficulty in reaching the target group and poor coverage of topics was more than 3.5 which categorised them as major hindrances in conducting Financial Literacy Programme (FLP), particularly for agripreneurs. However, consideration of both organisational and operational approaches is suggested for better implementation of FLP for agripreneurs.
This study looks into the impact of the presence of social media influencers in pilgrimage sites. Using a combination of literature review and empirical data from eighty-nine tourists at the Jyotirlingas, the study investigates tourists' perceptions of influencers as both facilitators of virtual access and disruptors of sanctity and peace in these holy sites. While some tourists believe that influencers undermine authentic experiences, others value the digital visibility they bring for these sites. The study emphasises the importance of balanced management that maintains cultural integrity while meeting the expectations of modern digital inclusion. This study highlights the intricacy of social media's involvement in contemporary religious tourism using MAXQDA analysis, and it proposes strategic policy measures to manage the relationship between tradition and digital modernity in a sustainable manner.
Kedarnath Dham is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which is a very important religious place in India. The study examines how the pilgrimage site is managed and also explores the problems that tourists have while they visit these sites. This study employs a mixed methodology using secondary data and tourist interviews. It further uses systematic thematic analysis to categorise the challenges in Kedarnath. The study finds that the problems include inadequate services, safety issues, etc. This study would help understand the tourists’ challenges in Kedarnath. It also shows how important it is to find a balance between meeting the needs of tourists and protecting the spiritual and cultural heritage of these sites.
This study aims to explore the ecological and cultural challenges in the delicate ecosystems of Joshimath and Kedarnath. A mixed method approach was adopted. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 35 tourists to look at the perception of environmental degradation and cultural influences. Content analysis of secondary data, including media reports and academic articles add contextual insights to the issue. The findings suggest that overcrowding and rapid construction works are increasing the environmental instability in both the sites; leading to natural disasters like floods, landslides, avalanches, etc. The tourists are disappointed due to overcrowding, and the threats it brings to the cultural and natural heritage. The study, thus highlights the urgent need for responsible tourism and much stricter developmental control measures. This study highlights that without immediate interventions, these fragile ecosystems are left with the threat of suffering from irreversible damages infringing upon their environmental significance and cultural values.
The study aims to explore the literature on service quality research within the Indian tourism and hospitality sectors. It synthesizes key insights by analyzing dimensions used to measure service quality, identifying sector-specific trends, and highlighting future research opportunities relevant to enhancing human resource practices. The review is based on 255 articles (1999-2024) based on a systematic approach, retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus. The literature review identified that the banking sector, education sector, healthcare sector, and tourism and hospitality sector are the popular sectors of Service quality research in India. Other sectors like the Airline sector, Insurance sector and automotive sector are slowly gaining momentum in this area of research. The scope of future research Service Quality research in India is identified and stated. The study offers insights into the sector wise dimensions of service quality and its future potential, particularly for academicians conducting research in a niche area.
The char areas of Assam- riverine islands formed by the Brahmaputra river are the most socioeconomically backward and environmentally fragile regions in Northeast India. Floods, erosion, and inadequate infrastructure have resulted in chronic poverty, displacement, and marginalization of char community in Assam. Despite these limitations, scholarly attention is still limited in this area. This study includes a thematic review of 26 peer-reviewed publications (2012-2025) obtained from the Scopus database, aiming to synthesize existing literature and identify key areas of concern. Six major themes emerged: i. environmental and climate vulnerability, ii. livelihood insecurity and land erosion, iii. gendered vulnerability and health, iv. borderland politics and identity, v. migration and displacement, and vi. development deficit and infrastructure gaps. These themes are intricately linked, reflecting the multidimensional deprivations faced by char communities. The study advocates for an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to research and policy-making in order to better understand and address the complex realities of char communities of Assam.
