Dr. Jati Kumar Sengupta

Dr. Jati Kumar Sengupta passed away peacefully on March 29, 2026, in Thousand Oaks, California, surrounded by the love of his family. He was 92 years old — a life lived with extraordinary purpose, quiet strength, and unwavering faith.

Jati was born on January 4, 1934, in Rampurhat, India. He lost his mother when he was just two years old and was raised with devotion by his father alone. From those tender beginnings, he drew a resilience and depth of character that would accompany him throughout his remarkable life. A gifted student, he pursued economics with a passion that never left him, earning his PhD in Economics in 1962.

In 1965, he married his beloved wife, Krishna Majumdar, and together they built a life rooted in intellect, warmth, love, and faith. They were together for 56 years until Krishna’s passing on August 7, 2021. Their partnership was the quiet center of everything he held dear.

Dr. Sengupta’s academic journey took him first to Iowa State University, before a profound pull toward home brought him back to Kolkata, where he left one of his most enduring marks. He became a founding member and Managing Director of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta — IIM Joka — one of the most prestigious management institutions in Asia. His vision and leadership helped shape an institution that has since shaped generations of leaders.

In 1976, Dr. Sengupta returned to the United States, joining the faculty of the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he taught with distinction for 31 years. Over the course of his prolific career, he authored 27 technical books in economics and more than 300 research papers in leading journals — a body of work that stands as a testament to a mind that never stopped asking questions or seeking deeper understanding.

His scholarship spanned stochastic programming and econometrics, Data Envelopment Analysis, economic growth and development, optimal control theory, and quantitative economic policy. In all of these domains, his work was unified by a rigorous mathematical approach to real-world problems — measuring efficiency, modeling uncertainty, and illuminating the dynamics of growth. He left a lasting impact on the many PhD students he mentored during his decades at UCSB.

Yet for all his academic achievements, those who loved him knew a man who was as devoted in spirit as he was disciplined in mind. Dr. Sengupta was a deeply devoted disciple of Swami Swahananda and a lifelong follower of Vedanta. His faith in Sri Ramakrishna was not separate from his life — it was the quiet foundation beneath everything he did.

He is survived by his son, Ajeen Sengupta; his daughter, Rimita S. Bewtra; and his four beloved grandchildren, Jayen and Shiven Bewtra, and Aria and Myra Sengupta — in whom his curiosity, his warmth, and his love of learning live on.

Dr. Jati Kumar Sengupta was a man who carried early loss with grace, crossed oceans in pursuit of knowledge, helped build institutions that endure, and returned always — to his faith, to his family, and to the truth he spent a lifetime seeking. He will be deeply missed and long remembered.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in his memory to the Vedanta Society at vedanta.org/donate.