Phani is a Program Associate with the Strategic Public Finance vertical at CEGIS. Prior to joining CEGIS, he was an Associate Researcher at CivicDataLab, working on Green Budgeting and Child Budgeting. He has also specialised in public procurement and co-authored a guidebook on Green Public Procurement in Assam. During his time at CivicDataLab, he worked closely with the Government of Assam, developing actionable recommendations and data-informed policies. His areas of interest include public finance, political economy, welfare, and sustainability.

He has a Master’s degree in Economics from O. P. Jindal Global University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Political Science and Sociology from Christ (Deemed to be) University.