Economics is often taught as a discipline of models, numbers, and abstract optimisation, yet it is first and foremost a way of making sense of how people actually live, work, relate to one another, and navigate power. This special issue, Economics as Lived Experiences, is published as part of the Global Association of Economics Education in India (GAEE India)'s annual journal initiative under the Global Journal for Aspiring Economists (GJAE, ISSN 2835-3102), offering a peer‑reviewed platform where students and early‑career researchers can examine economic phenomena through the lens of everyday realities.
The volume emerges from GAEE India’s broader effort to build research infrastructure and a credible academic space for aspiring economists in India, as highlighted in the Chairperson’s Note by Shivalee Duara, who emphasises the ambition to move beyond numbers and analysis towards economics that actively contributes to a more equal world. Guided by the editorial team of GAEE India, including the Editors and academic mentors such as Arzoo Sharma, who underscore sincerity, responsibility, and the intent to strengthen research culture in economics and allied fields, this issue reflects a collective labour of love: multiple rounds of ideation, problem‑solving, and strategic thinking, all converging in a structured annual publication.
Across contributions by student authors and early‑career researchers, this issue explores “economics as lived experiences” through diverse topics: the attention economy and how technology firms monetise our focus; the “pink tax” and gender‑based pricing disparities; gender‑based harassment and its educational and economic costs; debt‑trap diplomacy and the geopolitical use of loans; and the rise of non‑metro D2C startups reshaping India’s consumer economy from Tier 2 and 3 cities. Rather than treating individuals as representative agents in a model, these essays situate economic structures in concrete contexts -- from social media feeds and shopping aisles to college campuses and city streets, ports and supply chains, emerging startup ecosystems -- illustrating how macro forces translate into micro experiences.
Economics as Lived Experiences positions GAEE India’s annual magazine as a voice for reshaping economics education in and beyond India. It aims to nurture a culture where rigorous research and editorial standards coexist with empathy, inclusivity, and attention to everyday life, inviting readers to see economics as a discipline that can both interpret and transform the worlds they inhabit.
(Accepted for publication in December 2025, final publication via GJAE in Q3 2026)
