Karnav Popat
I write code, and about code
Hi! I'm Karnav, a data scientist and software engineer from Calcutta, India.
I'm currently a fourth-year undergraduate at Ashoka University.
I studied Computer Science and Economics, and am writing my thesis on climate modelling and land valuation under Prof. Sandeep Juneja.
I'm currently working on projects at the Digitalisation & AI Centre
and interning at Lightspeed VC.
My research interests are in climate modelling, satellite imaging, digitalisation & privacy, and state capacity.
I've previously worked with Amuse Labs, Samagra,
CEDA, and
TCPD.
In my free time, I write, rollerblade, and support Chelsea FC.
My Stack
(Tech I've worked with)
Projects (in tech)
Using DILRMP data, I created a geospatial dataset of all land plots and ownership in India.
Open LinkUsing cash flow and comparables analyses, I valued the portfolios of Indian REITs.
Open LinkI used nightlights to explain how the condition of the economy affects voter behaviour in India.
Open LinkI replicated Narayan & Shmatikov (2006) to prove privacy concerns with Indian EHRs.
Open LinkI used XGBoost and an LSTM to improve goal predictions and interpretability in football.
Open LinkUsing remote sensing & geospatial clustering, I showed that urban green spaces improve quality of life.
Open LinkI built a (now-defunct) API, website and browser extension using course reviews and grades at Ashoka.
Open LinkA toy compiler and interpreter based on Robert Nystrom's Crafting Interpreters.
Open LinkA reimagined implementation of the classic arcade game in Javascript and the JS Canvas.
Open LinkProjects (other)
As a strategy intern with Bloom, I investigated new market opportunities.
Open LinkFor my winning entry in the IEEE-Ashoka Datathon, I researched biases in healthcare.
Open LinkFor my winning entry in the Equilibrium Datathon, I studied interventions in rural India.
Open LinkRecent Writing
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10 Years of Ashoka University
Oct 2024
An institution in search of an identity
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AI Alignment: Do As I Say
Jun 2024
On the topic of goal misgeneralization and AI interpretability
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Expecting Goals: Across Time & Space
May 2024
At the confluence of football and data
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Where Does The Buck Stop?
May 2024
Economic Conditions & Electoral Volatility
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The Scene, The Pirates, and The Empress
May 2021
A look at the underground world of video game pirates