He was 72. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Expressing grief, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the country has lost one of its most eminent economists.
"In Suresh’s demise, our country has lost one of our most eminent economists. His work on poverty was path-breaking and will continue to guide and inspire the coming generations of economists," Singh said in his condolence message to Tendulkar's wife Sunetra Tendulkar.
Calling it a personal loss, Singh said, "He (Suresh) was a very dear friend and a colleague whose advice I valued immensely." He was also a member of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India.
"The Reserve Bank mourns the sad demise of Tendulkar and expresses its heartfelt condolences to his family," the central bank said in a statement. Well known for his extensive work on poverty, Tendulkar was Professor of Economics at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, from 1978 to 2004.
Tendulkar was a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2008 and chairman of the Council from 2008 to 2009. He chaired an expert group on methodology for estimation of poverty constituted by the Planning Commission, which submitted its report in November 2009.
