Reflections from the Nalanda Think‑Tank Retreat: Diversity, Resilience, and the Future of Indian Policy Research

Name: Challenges for today are on Trade, Tech and Sustainability
Uploaded: 2026-01-20T15:04:50.322140+00:00
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Description: Summary and key takeaways on Reflections from the Nalanda Think‑Tank Retreat: Diversity, Resilience, and the Future of Indian Policy Research, covering Setting

Observer Research Foundation

Jan 20, 2026

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Setting the Scene

The gathering took place in Nalanda, away from the bustle of Delhi. The serene environment forced participants to stay together for a day‑and‑a‑half, creating space for deep reflection and dialogue among India’s think‑tank community.

Why Meet Outside Delhi?

Delhi’s concentration of think‑tanks can lead to echo‑chambers and “Euro‑centric” spill‑over from foreign missions.
A retreat in a remote location encourages participants to step out of daily routines, fostering fresh perspectives and stronger interpersonal bonds.

Core Themes that Emerged

1. Geographic Diversity

Speakers from the Northeast, South, Central, and Kashmir highlighted regional nuances in foreign policy, development challenges, and local governance.
Emphasised that India’s voice on the global stage is shaped differently across its varied regions.

2. Building Inner Resilience

Panels repeatedly stressed optimism despite challenges.
The concept of “inner resilience” was linked to academic excellence that can ripple across sectors.

3. India’s Unique Strategic Position

Discussions on the US‑China binary underscored India’s need to carve its own narrative.
Five “big ideas” were identified for future research and policy action.

4. Strengthening Academic‑Think‑Tank Linkages

Higher education in India is undergoing a transition and is not fully delivering on its mandate.
Proposals included:
A free, structured three‑credit course on the “Nalanda spirit” for think‑tank staff.
Creation of a shared database of trade, economic, and social statistics.
Leveraging the government’s “One Nation, One Subscription” model to provide universal access to global journals.

5. Practical Policy Priorities

Water scarcity and sustainable agriculture were flagged as cross‑border and domestic crises.
India’s growing role as a net provider of development assistance (≈ $7.7 bn) calls for a clear exportable development model.
Suggested joint projects (5‑7 studies) involving think‑tanks, universities, and international partners (e.g., Netherlands, Israel) to address water technology and rural development.

Action Points for the Community

Institutionalise collaborative research tools and common data platforms.
Bridge the gap between think‑tank research and university curricula, ensuring that policy insights feed directly into teaching.
Continue rotating retreats to regions beyond Delhi to maintain geographic diversity and avoid echo‑chambers.

Closing Remarks

The speaker thanked the Nalanda team, highlighted the importance of moving beyond Delhi’s “Euro‑centric” influence, and invited participants to future field visits to villages and water‑technology projects, reinforcing the retreat’s focus on grounded, actionable research.

A geographically diverse, collaborative, and resilient think‑tank ecosystem—supported by strong ties to academia and practical projects—is essential for shaping India’s distinct voice in a complex global landscape.

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Why Meet Outside Delhi?

- Delhi’s concentration of think‑tanks can lead to echo‑chambers and “Euro‑centric” spill‑over from foreign missions. - A retreat in a remote location encourages participants to step out of daily routines, fostering fresh perspectives and stronger interpersonal bonds.

Helpful resources related to this video

If you want to practice or explore the concepts discussed in the video, these commonly used tools may help.

The Oxford Handbook Of Indian Foreign Policy Recommended

Comprehensive reference on India's diplomatic strategies; helps think‑tank researchers understand regional nuances and craft independent policy narratives

Amazon →

India Water Crisis: Solutions For Sustainable Management

Provides concrete case studies and technical solutions for water scarcity; supports the retreat’s focus on water sustainability projects

Amazon →

Think Tank Toolkit: A Practical Guide For Policy Research

Offers step‑by‑step methods for building rigorous research, data sharing, and stakeholder engagement; aligns with the call for academic rigor and common databases

Amazon →

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Full Transcript YouTube

many of the conversations we have had
had a had a certain trend line to to it
and and I particularly always enjoy this
uh this forum uh because I think uh it
allows us uh as as a community to get
together and both talk about substance
but also talk about what we do uh in our
day-to-day engagement uh with with our
colleagues and with each other and I
think uh we don't get enough uh time
together as as a collective as a group
of of think tankers of of in this space
to come and think about some of these
things and I think coming here away
outside Delhi in Nalanda where uh you
can enjoy uh the the serene surroundings
uh but you have very very little else to
do. So you are also captive in some ways
uh for the for the day and a half that
that we have you here. I think uh allows
for certain kind of a thinking
reflecting which perhaps is also
necessary given the times that we live
in. And I think all the conversations
that we have had over the last uh day
and a half uh certainly uh uh provoke uh
me and and and has u uh shown as pushed
me to think uh that Delhi perhaps is not
the best place to be doing these
engagements particularly as as a as a
means of getting all of us together. So
we should get out more often and and do
these kind of and this is the kind of a
retreat that we had. Uh and hopefully
all of you also gained as much as I did
from the multiple sessions that we had
and from from our personal uh individual
engagements with each other. Uh I think
some of the things stood out which uh
which are worth mentioning. One of one
of the reasons why we do this of course
is to meet each other uh annually and to
and to learn what what what others are
doing uh how different regions different
institutions different uh research
clusters are engaging with each other.
But I think uh this kind of perspectives
that you get from different parts of
India uh given how sometimes we we tend
to get very metropolitan in our
engagements uh and I think particularly
Delhi if you are a Delhi based think
tank it is very easy to get sucked up
into the system because you're meeting
every day with each other and then there
is something or the other happening. I
think not appreciating uh the uh the
peculiarities of say northeast or say
central India or south India when what
how how academics, think tankers, policy
enthusiasts and uh and and I think
policy makers tend to think about those
peculiarities. I think that gives you a
different perspective even on on on
something uh like foreign policy uh
which which tends to have a different
connotation in different parts of the
parts of India when you think about what
are the challenges from from their from
their from the regional perspective. So
I think uh when when we were hearing uh
speakers from northeast uh from south
India uh from other parts of India it
did give you a sense of of of how
perhaps these these interactions and and
that's the intention of making uh this
list as diverse as possible from our
from our end we do make an effort to
bring in researchers from different
parts of India to identify researchers
when we don't find a think tank we go to
a university center and we we we bring
in people and I think that is the reason
uh perhaps some of some at times there
is a diversity which which uh which we
want to encourage and and hopefully take
forward as we as we take this initiative
forward over the next few years and I
think the the question by the youngster
at the end of it who wants to start a
think tank I think wants to start a
think tank in Raji it's it's a in some
ways is a reflection of how far uh how
fast how interesting the conversations
in this space in India have become uh
and I must admit I I think someone
mentioned what is happening in the US at
a time when US think tanks are closing
down are are under pressure to see this
kind of vibrancy in India. uh I I I
think uh it gives you a great degree of
optimism amongst all the challenges that
we have uh that uh that this this space
is thriving and I think youngsters are
joining and thinking about this space
and perhaps are also linking their
future with this space which is a which
is a great great thing despite I think
the challenge that that that was
mentioned that it is important not to be
cut out and I think that's the reason
why uh this kind of diversity is
important because it allows you not to
get sucked up into what what did you say
bohemian
bourgeoa bohemian um entropy perhaps
that that that was mentioned. So I think
it is it is important that we that we
keep on engaging people from from
Kashmir to to Kanyakumari from Gujarat
to to to the northeast and and I think
this this collection of people that we
have and we we try to sort of uh
therefore uh hope uh that uh with with
this collaboration with with this
engagement we can further collaboration
in this regard. So I think one of the
things that stands out is this diversity
and how it propels us to ask interesting
questions, research interesting
questions, collaborate with interesting
collaborators and bring together our
expertise in ways that was perhaps
identified as is is the need. The other
issue that that also stood out was um
was I think uh the topic of of of this
dialogue that we that we had framed
initially building uh inner resilience.
uh and I think uh what is what was very
interesting is that almost every panel
there was an element of optimism that
yes there are challenges but India's
voice uh is shaping up it is not there
it is not perfect uh it is it is it is
being carved by different
sculptures uh but in some ways it is it
is standing out that India is struggling
but India is also trying to frame its
own unique uh individual response to the
challenges that it is facing and I think
This this a lot of the discussion was
about of course China and the US and the
binary that it presents and where India
perhaps comes in with its own unique
voice with its own unique idea and that
that came through even when the first
time uh uh Sachin will be discussing
bricks that it was it was very distinct
that India has to challenge some of the
things that perhaps China is doing uh
within bricks but but India also has to
challenge some of the things that that
Trump is doing and in that base uh can
India carve out its own uh its own voice
and I think that is uh we heard that in
panel after panel which was which is
quite striking and very very
interesting. So I think in that sense uh
the we we we do have some very
interesting ideas on the table as to
what what India can do and and and uh uh
I think it was mentioned that five five
big ideas uh we need to take forward and
I think what we intend to do and we will
reach out to some of you which we do
every year uh to give us your
perspective in writing. So we'll make
you work a bit harder uh some of you
after this conference and get back to
you uh because we do come out with a
with a report uh where we invite you to
contribute and to that to to tell us and
to tell the community of researchers
what those salient points are that you
want the think tank community to focus
on over the next year and we will
certainly reach out to you over the over
the course. But I just want to end by
saying that I think what u what is
interesting and important here uh is
that we got together uh we we heard each
other out uh and the challenges uh as
they are and and and they will keep
growing not only for the space but for
the wider academic space and I think
that that point is very valid that
ultimately we are all in in in a in an
academic or quasi academic space. Now in
that sense uh where are we getting our
researchers from? Where are we getting
our academics from? Where are we uh
sourcing them from? And how are we
contributing to that wider ecosystem is
very important because I think uh higher
education in India is going through a
transition. It is not doing its job. I
think one can safely say at this point.
So while we are here in Nalanda which is
setting itself up which is the font of
all ancient wisdom. We hope that this
conversation about the future of higher
education in India and how we as think
tankers interact with higher education
institutions and create and nurture that
ecosystem is perhaps going to be a very
very important discussion if you want to
build inner resilience as an academic. I
think that inner resilience ultimately
has to be uh the the academic excellence
if you can impart that across sectors
because that will reverberate across
sectors. So that is what hopefully uh in
our own ways we are not an academic
institution we are we are just a think
tank but in our own ways we want to
contribute to that discourse and
hopefully with the help of institutions
like Nalanda we can develop that culture
and we hope that you can be part of that
journey as well with us. So thank you
all for being with us and I will now uh
invite professor Chhatureli for his for
his final remarks. But I want to uh also
thank once again my team team at Nalanda
and professor Chhaturi for his very very
kind uh hospitality that he provided all
of us over the over the course of these
two days and hopefully we'll continue to
do that over the next few few years as
well. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you. Thanks Hush. I think uh it
was a great pleasure and I was just
mentioning to somebody working with RF
is always such a pleasure and uh and
particularly when Samir is not around
team is so relaxed. I think it's it's a
great one. Uh and and also with Samir, I
think the insights that he uh shared
yesterday are extremely important for
think tanks to uh to shape the wider
narrative which is there, the wider
ideas which are there and I think it is
important for us to remind ourselves in
terms of how it is going. It did not
come up in our discussions but there are
three things that I would like to very
much offer Mahush from our side. I think
three things uh uh think tanks may
consider. First and foremost which came
up across all sessions uh is this huge
uh uh sort of uncertainty or
sort of inability to predict etc because
of multiple reasons that are coming in.
The challenge before think tanks is of
course to follow newspapers but not to
get influenced by them in terms of how
flimsy some of the arguments are. The
fact that
economists, financial times etc may
sound very high but we know what
narrative is being sort of given also
statistics. So I think uh uh uh think
tanks proliferation of think tanks in
India it's a phase in which we are
entering now where more and more think
tanks would be there. you rightly
recognized uh uh to to get that expanded
and uh and I think it is also important
for uh leaders in the group to ensure
that we do not compromise rigor and
rigor comes in from the specialization
that is there. Now think tanks which are
cooperating which are coming together
they should be speaking based on the
training they have got. Everybody
getting influenced by IR and speaking IR
language and leaving behind their own
lexicon which their subject brings in
would bring in generality in our
analysis. So we have to see the
interconnected world whether Trump is
dealing with economic policy or trade
policy or political philosophy or uh uh
sociology you do not know it's all
combined world now. So convergence is
happening. challenges before think tanks
is to give their ability to analyze give
their prediction without compromising
their
subject core competence. So when think
tanks have to do this uh difficult task
when this journey is so difficult we can
rely back on couple of fundamental
points. I mentioned to to some of our
colleagues here for all our courses uh
we have prepared a three credit course
which can be done in two to three weeks
and for our uh next academic year uh it
would last for for one month I can offer
that to all think tanks giving them
fundamental expose on what we call as
nalandai spirit some of that I discussed
in my intervention yesterday my faculty
colleagues have put in lot of efforts in
terms of what Indian thought is all of
us are picking it up from our own
readings but if it comes in form of a
structured course then then that can be
done this would be online offline and
100% free of cost so to this think tank
community nalanda would be great to
glad to share details of this course and
we would be very happy to do the
enrollments ments when our host hustlers
are out, our students are out, we can
bring in community for those two weeks
or 3 weeks uh uh to to share that.
Second, uh we should bring in some
support from think tanks who have
already established uh uh uh trade and
other uh databases. I think this session
uh in which Pam was uh speaking I heard
him and all of the other uh speakers Dr.
Patuk and Shria and and Sankulp all four
made very good points. I think it is
pertinent on our part uh to create a
common database for for all our
researchers who can part of this uh
network who can access the data and do
their own analysis with that. It is
important that we have a common uh sort
of understanding of the uh uh uh
statistics at least that is there. The
third component government has already
extended one nation one subscription.
The uh effort to extend that to social
sciences. The effort to uh to accelerate
its access uh to to private
institutions. I think uh we need to
create a group. Nalanda has already
this. All the government institutions
have this. Government is open to
strengthen think tanks, research
institutions. why not all of us have
common access to global journals. So one
nation one subscription should also be
part of uh uh uh the India think tank
forum that we have. So that was the
first point that I wanted to make
basically bring in uh academic rigor and
parics and also access to journals. This
part we should uh do uh there are too
many journals and and they all go by
their ranking. So, so I think uh
important point is also to see uh uh how
we uh go forward. The the second point
that I want to make is what ambassador
Nanda made and I think his uh uh his
observation that uh in a multipolar
world power is not equally distributed.
It is as per whatever parameter. Now to
students I wanted to suggest in terms of
multiple variables which are there for
power measurement there are several
papers which have come in terms of
measurement particularly in economics IR
which is increasingly becoming more and
more mathematical in teaching we need to
get
some bit of effort to bring in more
rigor in our IR and not impression alone
you press on your theoretical
understanding in IR and I think instead
of uh uh general blah blah we should
bring in methodological approach which
can emphasize in terms of how those
variables are are changing or evolving.
So think tank community in India would
have to to address that. I think this uh
point that I noted from
Dr. TP Shinasan's intervention in terms
of long-term structural changes or or
temporary cycles that I think is a very
important point which which he made and
I think the whole AI session the two
sessions I think
how they reflected very well in terms of
issues which are there for AI power
structure and again brought in power
balance. So in my view four sessions
have focused on this power balance issue
which ambassador Nanda very rightly
articulated.
I think it would be important for us to
see what framework emerges from these
interventions. I was reading through the
great uh uh summary my colleagues have
made. So uh I think the uh uh the
minutes that are prepared are extremely
interesting and and and useful. The
other dimension which is uh important is
in terms of the uh uh trade uh analysis
and the session which I attended this
morning I think was a brilliant point.
It has laid out broad road map in terms
of how we go forward. So as we go
forward in this journey forward our task
should be a to institutionalize it as I
said from analytical tools that are
needed. Second, in terms of common
points and I fully agree with you, five
or four broad points we can identify.
The community is largely at this point
uh uh focusing on international
relations emanating out of trade,
security, uh investment but also
technology.
The fourth dimension which I think is
important is in terms of sustainability
and sustainability brings in huge water
crisis that we are going to have. Water
crisis is across the border but it is
also uh within the country our intrinsic
strength to address issues like
agroforestry, issues like water cycles,
issues like cropping pattern and what we
have imported through a
multiple uh international engagements in
agriculture which has sept away all our
resources. So how do we reverse it? what
are the ways and and this is also hers
important because India is also
important provider of development
assistance in Ethiopia's visit prime
minister has further emphasized in terms
of enhancing the quantum of assistance
at this point uh according to our
calculations which we did uh uh some
time back 7.67 67 billion dollars we are
giving to other countries
right back in n 2019 we did away with
this uh uh incoming aid so we crossed it
we are net provider of development
assistance to other countries what
development model we are exporting and
that's where prime minister's idea of
leveraging international connect of
India for domestic economic development
but also exporting domestic development
experience to partner countries for
which duction was announced. So I think
it's time for us to see ourselves
from international perspective
and and in in true sense wasvam
how that spells out in form of our
international role. So some track can
remain constant uh in this where you
encourage research which is presented uh
at the end of the year. So uh uh today
when we are closing I would very much
urge you to think of couple of projects
involving some of the think types. We
have some resources we can spare you
have resources we can also jointly raise
resources and at least have five to
seven studies which are also presented
in some track and we line them up. All
universities have money in terms of
supporting dissertations. So how do we
bring in more universities in this who
are sincerely thinking in terms of MA
dissertations. So making this platform
think tanks but at RA I had launched
this university connect to bring think
tanks close to universities
little realizing that I would myself end
up in a university from RA but I did and
at that point prime minister had asked
us to reach out to 75 universities to
take the G20 idea forward to our own
surprise and to prime minister's great
pleasure uh we could achieve reaching
out to 101 universities.
So hush there is big gap in pedagoguy
and the rigor that think tanks are
bringing in. We need to bridge this and
it is important that uh our research is
also adopted by universities for their
own teaching purposes. So theoretical
knowledge and practical input that that
convergence has to happen and that I
think such initiatives can can really
strengthen it. I once again thank you
for the partnership. I thankf team uh
for uh uh huge work that they have done
and uh and this I think is also good to
uh uh to get out of Delhi uh because the
trouble with Delhi is not Delhi itself
but the euroentricity that brings it.
The excessive spillover effects of uh
foreign missions in in Delhi influences
you to a great extent in terms of how
you think and how you uh take the ideas
forward. Ground realities. Today we have
planned your visit to some of the
monuments nearby. But next time when you
come I would certainly like to take you
to the five villages that that we are
working with and that would give you
some exposure in terms of how uh rural
things are required to be addressed. uh
our CPR colleagues have left uh but the
water technology work that they are
doing I think it is important sir you
have dealt with waters all the time it
is important that we uh we see how that
recycling can be done and in what way
that recycling can be done the
purification that is needed countries
like and and Samir already said that we
can invite four five countries some of
the countries that can help us uh regain
control over water be that Netherlands
or Israel whoever can support I think we
should partner with those countries to
bring in more meaningful dialogue that
can change the society and not just
produce at the end uh list for
government and for government's action.
I think whatever we can do we should do
that. Thank you.
[applause]