LK Deshpande, known as LK, passed away on 12 September 2020. He pursued postgraduate and PhD degrees at the Department of Economics, University of Mumbai and later joined it as a faculty and retired as its director in 1992. He has written extensively on issues in labour economics and industrial relations, urban development, and education. He was closely associated with the Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) in various roles, as the editor of its Indian Journal of Labour Economics (IJLE), as the conference president of ISLE Conference in 1989 and a member of its executive committee.

I cherish the long and close association with LK and have edited three books in his honour (Contemporary Reforms of Labour Market and Industrial Relations System in India: Ease of Doing Business Versus Labour Rights: In Honour of Prof Lalit Deshpande, 2018; Perspectives on Neoliberalism, Labour and Globalization in India: Essays in Honour of Lalit K Deshpande; Globalization, Labour Market Institutions, Processes and Policies in India: Essays in Honour of Lalit K Deshpande, 2019).