Dr. Sudha R. Shenoy (1943–2008) was a spirited and insightful economist known for her passionate advocacy of classical liberal and Austrian economic ideas.
Educated at Mount Carmel School and St. Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad, she later pursued studies at the London School of Economics (LSE), the University of Virginia, and SOAS. While at LSE in the mid-1960s, she founded the Whig Society on the advice of F. A. Hayek, with help from fellow student Ed Feulner.
Her intellectual roots were deeply influenced by her father, B. R. Shenoy, a distinguished Indian economist who faced severe criticism and restrictions for opposing centralized economic planning in India.
Dr. Sudha Shenoy gained early recognition when her paper “Pricing for Refuse Removal” won third place in the 1966 Evan Durbin Competition held by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). In 1971, her book “India: Progress or Poverty” was published by the IEA, well ahead of its time in calling for market-oriented reforms in India.
She became a member of the Mont Pelerin Society in 1972 and that same year edited and introduced Hayek’s influential work “A Tiger by the Tail – The Keynesian Legacy of Inflation.”
Dr. Sudha taught economics in the UK, notably at Cranfield School of Management, before moving to Australia, where she taught at the University of Sydney and the University of Newcastle (NSW). Her later research focused on inflation and was supported by the Centre for Independent Studies.
She spent the latter part of her life in Newcastle with her husband, Dennis, an archivist and former student of hers—whom she met when he jokingly admitted he couldn’t understand her lectures and invited her to dinner for clarification.
Those who knew Dr. Sudha remember her for her keen intellect, infectious enthusiasm, love of debate, and her unwavering commitment to liberty. Her bright smile and lively spirit made her a memorable figure both as a scholar and as a person
Read A Tiger by the Tail _The Keynesian Legacy of Inflation
