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Currently works with the Agricultural Economics Research Centre, University of Delhi. He has written extensively on water-related issues. Earlier, he worked for The World Bank, World Resources Institute, and Afro-Asian Rural Reconstruction Organization.

R.S. Deshpande is currently Professor and Head of the agricultural Development and Rural Transformation (ADRT) Unit of the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. Beside 29 years of research and reaching experience, Professor Deshpande has served on various policy bodies of Government of India and Government of Karnataka, and has been consultant to several national and international organizations. Prof. Deshpande was one of the three coordinators for the Ministry of Agriculture sponsored 27-volume mega study State of the Indian Farmer: A Millennium Study published by Academic Foundation (2004). He co-authored two of the volumes under the Millennium Study, namely Vol. 9: Crops and Cultivation and Vol. 23: NGOs and Farmers’ Movements. Having several other books to his credit, he has published extensively on agricultural development. WTO and its impact on agriculture, droughts and drought mitigation, farmers’ movements, irrigation and watershed development. His current academic interests include: farmers suicides in India, droughts and natural disasters, WTO and its impact on agriculture, and watershed development. Prof. Deshpande is currently a member of the Karnataka Agricultural Prices Commission and an Expert Group on WTO and Agriculture under the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.