About the Conference

The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) is pleased to announce its 66th Annual Conference to be held in Symbiosis International (Deemed) University (SIU), Pune during 19-21 January 2026. The Conference is being organised by the School of Economics, SIU, Pune. Professor Praveen Jha, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi is the Conference President. Prof Jyoti Chandiramani, Director, Symbiosis School of Economics, and Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Symbiosis International University, Pune is the Organising Secretary of the Conference.

Participation in the Conference is by invitation and registration only. The Conference is international and prospective contributors from both India and outside are invited to contribute papers and participate

Conference Structure and Duration

The Conference Programme will consist of presentation of selected papers on the Conference themes in the thematic and technical sessions. In addition, 3-4 Plenary lectures by eminent scholars/experts /public intellectuals will be held during the Conference. A Plenary Panel and around 8-10 Thematic (Parallel) Panels will also be organised. The Southern Centre for Inequality studies, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and Institute for Human Development, New Delhi will be Organising a Panel on “Addressing the Challenge of Employment and Inequality in Emerging Economies of Global South” during the Conference. The Speakers in the Panel will be invited from Brazil, China, Indonesia, India and South Africa. The Conference will begin at 9:00 am on 19 January 2026 and conclude by 2:00 pm on 21 January 2026. Participants are advised to reach Pune a day prior to the Conference and schedule their departure after 3 pm of 21 January 2026..

Pre-Conference Events

Pre-Conference Events (topics to be announced later on) will also be organised on 19 January 2026 from 4pm onwards, followed by dinner. Those interested in participating in the Pre-Conference events should aim to reach the Conference venue by the noon on 19 January 2026.

General Participation

Scholars, experts, organisations and stakeholders interested in labour and employment issues who do not want to present papers in the Conference are also welcome to register and participate in the Conference and contribute to its deliberations. Conference registration charge should be paid online at https://conference.isleijle.org by clicking the ‘Conference Participation Charges’ button.

Travel Arrangements

The Indian Society of Labour Economics does not have any regular source of funding and each year the Society tries to raise some limited resources. As such, it is expected that the paper presenters, resource persons and other participants will fund their travel costs through their own institutions or other sources. For some select keynote / invited paper writers and resource persons, who are either superannuated or cannot manage their travel costs, the Society will make an effort to meet their travel expenses.