Madras School of Economics

What Madras School of Economics does

Madras School of Economics (MSE) is a Chennai-based higher education and research institution founded in 1993, operating under the Government of Tamil Nadu as an "Institution of Special Importance" since April 1, 2021, by virtue of the Madras School of Economics Act, 2020. The institution offers degree-granting programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels, including a 5-year Integrated MA in Economics (with exit options at years 3 and 4), two-year MA specialisations in General Economics, Financial Economics, Applied Quantitative Finance, Actuarial Economics, and Environmental Economics (affiliated to Central University of Tamil Nadu), an M.Sc. in Data Science (with Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning components), AICTE-approved PGDM programmes in Financial Engineering and Research & Business Analytics through MSE Business School, an MBA programme, and a Ph.D. in Economics (affiliated to University of Madras).

The underlying academic platform combines economic theory with quantitative training (mathematics, statistics, computer science, and logic) and selected exposure to data science and AI within the Data Science specialisation. MSE also operates dedicated research and training entities including the Centre for Public Finance (CPF), which runs recurring Summer Training Programmes in Public Finance for academics and government officials, and a Research and Analytics Cell. The institution publishes a Working Paper Series (exceeding 296 papers), occasional papers, monographs, and participates in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Infrastructure comprises a single Chennai campus at Gandhi Mandapam Road, Kotturpuram, with classrooms, auditoriums, a computer centre, library, Wi-Fi, and separate hostels; recent tenders indicate an additional classroom building under construction.

MSE is a not-for-profit government-established academic entity with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or external shareholders. Its revenue model is built on tuition from multiple programme cohorts, government funding as a State Legislature-established institution, and externally supported training programmes (e.g., GIZ-funded regional training on Economics of Climate Change). Student outcomes include international university placements (LSE, Columbia, NUS, Barcelona School of Economics) and recruiter relationships with HSBC, Citigroup Global Services, Mu Sigma, Genpact, Nathan Associates, and IFMR. The institution is governed by a Governing Council, Academic Council, and Executive Council, chaired by former RBI Governor Dr. C. Rangarajan and led by Director Dr. N. R. Bhanumurthy.

Name

Madras School of Economics

Legal name

Madras School of Economics

Website

https://mse.ac.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Madras School of Economics is a Chennai-based, Government of Tamil Nadu-established higher education and research institution founded in 1993, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in economics, finance, data science, and management to students across India and select international cohorts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business and Secretarial Schools (611410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Finance, Accounting & Economics Schools (EDAHAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic & Macroeconomic Research (BPAHALAD)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Economics programs
• Data science degree
• Management diploma
• Doctoral economics

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Madras School of Economics is a postgraduate teaching and research institution offering degree programmes in economics, finance, data science and management. Its core offerings include a 5-year Integrated MA in Economics with exit options, two-year MA specialisations (General Economics, Financial Economics, Applied Quantitative Finance, Actuarial Economics, Environmental Economics), a two-year M.Sc. in Data Science with AI and machine learning components, AICTE-approved PGDM programmes, an MBA programme, and a Ph.D. in Economics.

Product overview

Madras School of Economics is an educational institution offering a portfolio of degree programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels, along with management diplomas and research publications. The institution operates as a single unified academic entity with multiple programmes including a 5-year Integrated MA in Economics, various MA programmes (General Economics, Financial Economics, Applied Quantitative Finance, Actuarial Economics, Environmental Economics), M.Sc. in Data Science, PGDM, MBA, and Ph.D. programmes. The institution also houses the Centre for Public Finance for specialized research and training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 5-year Integrated MA Programme in Economics

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 out of 57 BA Economics students secured admissions to top international universities for academic year 2026-27
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Madras Institute of Development StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Conference organised by Madras Institute of Development Studies and Madras School of Economics featuring Former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan's critique of the 16th Finance Commission report.
• ISI Chennai (Indian Statistical Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2025Jointly organised Conference on 'Recent Trends in Logic and Game Theory' held at MSE Chennai from 11th-12th February 2025. The conference brought together experts, researchers, and enthusiasts in logic and game theory to discuss recent advancements and foster collaboration.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2022GIZ supported the Regional Training Program on 'Economics of Climate Change' for Himalayan region state government officials, organised by MSE under the guidance of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. MSE provided the training programme curriculum and faculty expertise.
• Central University of Tamil NaducoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSE Master's programmes (General Economics, Financial Economics, Applied Quantitative Finance, Actuarial Economics, Environmental Economics) are affiliated to the Central University of Tamil Nadu.
• University of MadrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSE Ph.D. programme in Economics is affiliated to the University of Madras for doctoral research and degree award.
• Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry provided guidance for the Regional Training Programme on Economics of Climate Change organised by MSE with GIZ support.
• M.Sc. Data Science Advisory Committee (Industry Members)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory Committee includes Mr. Gopinath Krishnamurthy (Accenture India) and Mr. Saptarishi Nandy Purkayastha (Accenture Australia) providing industry relevance guidance for curriculum and research collaborations.
• Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSICCI co-organised the 12th G. Ramachandran Memorial Lecture with MSE featuring RBI Governor and Deputy Governor lectures on banking and policy topics.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Indian Institute of Management Calcutta: Top-tier Indian business school offering finance, economics, and analytics programmes. Competes with MSE Business School for MBA/PGDM applicants and faculty, particularly those targeting finance and analytics roles.
• Indian Institute of Management Bangalore: Premier business school offering PGDM and management programmes with finance and analytics specialisations broadly overlapping with MSE's PGDM in Financial Engineering and Research & Business Analytics, but at substantially larger scale.
• Jawaharlal Nehru University - School of Social Sciences: Large central university with a top-tier economics Centre for Economics Studies and Finance. Competes with MSE for the same pool of students targeting economics post-graduate programmes, though at much larger scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics: Pune-based specialised economics research and post-graduate institute with a similar niche focus on economics and public policy. Comparable in scale and orientation to MSE as a focused economics school outside the IIM system.
• Symbiosis School of Economics: Pune-based school offering BA and MA programmes in Economics with quantitative emphasis. Comparable to MSE in providing specialised economics degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate levels with a similar target student segment.
• Indian Statistical Institute: Specialised institution offering degrees in statistics, mathematics, and related quantitative fields with strong M.Sc. data science overlap. ISI Chennai partnered with MSE on the Recent Trends in Logic and Game Theory conference, confirming close methodological alignment.
• Delhi School of Economics: India's premier public economics graduate school offering MA and PhD programmes in economics. Directly comparable to MSE on academic positioning, economics specialisations, and policy research orientation, though at significantly larger scale and national brand recognition.
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research: Mumbai-based research and graduate school focused on economics and development studies. Closely comparable to MSE in its blend of post-graduate economics teaching, PhD research, and policy-oriented output.

Regional players

• Madras Institute of Development Studies: Chennai-based research institute focused on development economics and social sciences. Direct regional peer and explicit partner of MSE, including co-hosted conferences featuring Chairman C. Rangarajan.

Emerging players

• Barcelona School of Economics: Specialised graduate economics school known for quantitative master's programmes. Comparable to MSE on academic positioning and acts as a destination competitor for top Indian economics undergraduates, reflecting overlapping applicant pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MadrasSchoolOfEconomics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Madras School of Economics