Noted economist Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, currently the director of the India Development Foundation, a privately funded, non-profit research foundation, is joining the finance ministry.

The appointment, expected shortly, will come in the backdrop of tax expert Parthasarathy Shome recently resigning from the post of adviser to Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

When contacted, Gangopadhyay, a PhD in Economics from Cornell University, said: "I expect to hear about it tomorrow".

When asked whether he is joining in place of Shome (as adviser to the FM), he declined comment.