First draft
Perspectives on public policy, politics and society — usually India-centric.
Fahad Hasin
I am a researcher, blogger, and occasional editor. I am currently a Mercatus 1991 Fellow based in Kerala, India. I write about economic policy reform in the state, with land use as my primary area of research. Previously, I worked at IDinsight on state capacity projects.
In 2025, I received an Emergent Ventures grant to start the Kerala Growth Series. I graduated from Ashoka University in 2021, where I studied political science.
Newsletters
Recent work
- How India Eradicated Polio Edited for Alter Magazine · Sep 2026
Inside the Nation’s Largest Public Health Programme
- Kerala wants to reverse migration. First, it must fix its jobs problem Co-wrote for Deccan Herald · Sep 2026
When compelling opportunities at home are scarce, improving second-best options will be key.
- #43: Decoding student protests as an almost-Gen Z Wrote for First draft · Jul 2026
A meaningful win with sobering qualifications
- Designing a Summer Ice Cream for India Edited for Alter Magazine · Jun 2026
- A Non-Malayali Looks at Kerala Appeared on Nayadrishti · Jun 2026
Fahad talks about what he found different in Kerala, areas where the state has succeeded, and things that need to improve.
- What can Kerala learn from its successes? Wrote for Kerala Growth Series · Jun 2026
Things have gone well when government enabled private initiatives instead of taking over their functions
Contact
- reach@fahadhasin.com
- Twitter / X
- @fahadmh
- Newsletters
- First draft · Kerala Growth Series