Amitendu Palit is an economist specializing in comparative economic studies, international trade and investment, political economy and public policies. He is with ISAS in the National University of Singapore since 28 April 2008. Earlier, Amitendu worked for several years in the Ministry of Finance, India, and in the Ministries of Industry and Civil Supplies. He handled macroeconomic policies, including trade, investment, balance of payments, industrial development, SMEs, entrepreneurship development, and futures trading. He wrote Annual Economic Surveys and participated in annual budgetary consultations.He was on Advisory Committees of the Planning Commission and ILO. He is Senior Research Fellow (Honorary) at Wong Centre for Study of MNCs and Adviser for Athena Infonomics.

Amitendu’s research includes trade policies, trade agreements, comparative economics of China and India, and India's public policies. His latest books are ‘Seven Decades of Independent India’ (2018, Penguin; co-edited with Vinod Rai) and 'Employment Policy in Emerging Economies' (2017, Routledge; co-edited with Elizabeth Hill). His other books include 'The Trans Pacific Partnership, China and India: Economic and Political Implications' (2014; Routledge, ), which follows his earlier books 'China India Economics: Challenges, Competition and Collaboration' (2011; Routledge) and 'Special Economic Zones in India: Myths and Realities' (2008; Anthem Press; Co-authored). He has published in several peer-reviewed academic journals.

Amitendu is a columnist for 'Financial Express' and writes for China Daily and East Asia Forum. He is an expert for BBC,Bloomberg News, Channel News Asia, CNBC, ABC, CGTN .Doordarshan (India) and All-India Radio. He is a visiting faculty for several management and business schools and consultant for Commonwealth Secretariat, ILO, UNDP, Copenhagen Consensus and IIFT India.