Prof. Deodhar has worked on imperfectly competitive market structures, World Trade Organization (WTO), agricultural trade, food quality & safety, and CSR issues. Besides, he has conducted research projects for India’s Ministry of Food Processing Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Indian Bank, and Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture. He was selected as the Hewlett Fellow of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium during 2006–2008. He has published research papers in national and international journals and has authored quite a few monographs.  The publisher Penguin Random House has brought out 3 books authored by Prof. Deodhar.  One of the books, Day to Day Economics, has gone on to become a national bestseller in the non-fiction category. 

Prof Deodhar has taken keen academic interest in economic ideas emanating from ancient Indian literature.  His recent book, Economic Sutra brings out the economic ideas expressed in literature spanning from Ramayana to Mahabharata, Vedas to Upanishads, Arthashastra to Shukraniti, and Puranas to Sanskrit plays.  A paper based on the theme of this book has appeared in the renowned journal The Annals of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).  Another paper titled Hindu Economic Ethics is forthcoming in The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics.  He will be presenting a paper next week in Houston, TX, USA on the role of gold in the Indian economy through several millennia.

Prof. Deodhar’s efforts had resulted in bringing out commemorative postal stamp and envelop in memory of the great 18th century Indian statesman, Bajirao Peshwa I.  He was the first Convener of the computerised Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by IIMs for admissions to the business schools.  His pioneering work in converting CAT into a computer based test (CBT) was replicated subsequently for other admission tests such as Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) of the IITs.  Prof. Deodhar has also held many administrative positions at IIMA including Admissions Chair, Placement Chair, Chair of MBA programmes, Welfare Chair, and Warden.  He is the Founding Member of Pune International Centre, serves on the advisory board of Savida Agricom, and was on the board of Asian Granito as an Independent Director.