The scale, diversity, and complexity of India’s outbound student mobility have expanded rapidly over the past two decades, making it the world’s second-largest source of international students. Traditionally viewed as ‘brain drain’, this phenomenon is now increasingly being understood as ‘brain circulation’. This paper examines ...
The expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal and improvements in its delivery capabilities have serious implications for India. In order to counter China’s growing atomic and missile delivery capabilities, the Indian state faces two tests: a maximum test and a minimum test. The maximum test involves ...
This paper examines the moral, ecological, and developmental imperatives of trans-species coexistence in urban India in the context of the 2025 Supreme Court rulings on Delhi’s stray dogs. Using the “prudent predator” thesis of Lawrence Slobodkin, it argues that humanity’s ecological imprudence, manifested in unrestrained ...
Japan’s renewed engagement with Africa, underscored by the outcomes of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in August 2025, reflects a recalibration of its Africa policy toward strategic partnerships and sustainable development. Framed by principles of human security and mutual prosperity, ...
The United States’ (US) November 2025 articulation of the country’s national security strategy locates New Delhi in its ambitions. Raisina Hill is countering this by opening doors wider with defining economic engagements that potentially number 50. This paper argues that locating India in the US ...
India is entering a pivotal ‘Blue Highway’ transition with major investments in inland waterways offering a low-carbon alternative to road and rail, enhancing energy efficiency, reducing emissions, and boosting trade competitiveness. These developments, however, are unfolding within some of the most biodiverse river systems on ...
Conventional wisdom and decades of research have lauded returning diaspora entrepreneurs as critical drivers of innovation in emerging economies. This paper reports a recent departure from this narrative in the Indian context. Drawing on a unique dataset of 596 Indian high-tech startups founded between 2016 ...
Urban water bodies play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting biodiversity, and providing essential ecosystem services, including water purification, flood mitigation, and recreation. However, globally, rapid urbanisation, pollution, and overall disregard have resulted in the degradation of urban water bodies, posing a threat ...
This paper examines India's maritime development pathway through the lens of the Blue Economy within the framework of Viksit Bharat 2047. Drawing on India's maritime legacy, it analyses how government-led initiatives such as Sagarmala, Maritime India Vision 2030, and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 are ...
Climate change has now evolved into a systemic risk that is reshaping economic systems, governance structures, and the landscape within which India’s fiscal federalism operates. As climate impacts intensify, the existing foundation of inter-governmental fiscal transfers is being tested. As the 16th Finance Commission embarks ...
Dr Nilanjan Ghosh heads Development Studies at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and serves as the operational and executive head of ORF’s Kolkata Centre. He was the Director of ORF’s Centre for New Economic Diplomacy. With over two decades of ...
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Dr. Soumya Bhowmick is a Fellow at the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy (CNED) at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). He completed industry- endorsed Ph.D. studies at BML Munjal University as a SYLFF Research Grantee (Tokyo Foundation), focusing on inclusive ...
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