ANNUAL REPORT 2015 MANDATE Observer Research Foundation (ORF) seeks to lead and aid policy thinking towards building a strong and prosperous India in a fair and equitable world. It sees India as a country poised to play a leading role in the knowledge age—a role in which it shall be increasingly called upon to proactively ideate in order to shape global conversations, even as it sets course along its own trajectory of long-term sustainable growth. ORF helps discover and inform India’s choices. It carries Indian voices and ideas to forums shaping global debates. It provides non-partisan, independent, well-researched analyses and inputs to diverse decision-makers in governments, business communities, academia, and to civil society around the world. Our mandate is to conduct in-depth research, provide inclusive platforms and invest in tomorrow’s thought leaders today. Ideas · Forums · Leadership · Impact CONTENTS Message from 02 the Chairman 25 years of ORF: Milestones 04 Message from 06 the Director Platforms Informing, setting and reimagining debates 08 Publications Presenting, building and 34 changing conversations ORF Financial Fact Sheet 2014-15 47 48 List of Events List of Publications 56 58 Faculty List Thematic Tree 62 1 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Bharat Goenka The Observer Research Foundation ORF’s evolution and impact as an began its journey in 1990 as an independent policy research institution ambitious idea at the junction of pure has been unparalleled amongst similar ideation tempered by pragmatism. organisations in the country. As a think At the end of 25 years it remains the tank that seeks to solve tomorrow’s embodiment of the same intellectual problems today, it has grown from realism deeply tied to the philosophical strength to strength, gaining global moorings of its founding fathers. recognition along the way. In 2014, the University of Pennsylvania’s Go ORF’s 26th Foundation Day is not merely To Global Think Tanks rankings a temporal milestone. It is not only a placed ORF at the eighth position celebration of 25 years of policy research, among leading institutions in China, but also an opportunity to pause and Japan, South Korea and India. Gaining reflect on 25 years of the growth and recognition as a prominent think tank transformation that has overtaken both in the areas of defence and foreign the institution and the nation that it policy, it was the only Indian think sought to serve. It is the moment to tank that featured in seven different express gratitude to the remarkable categories, including one of the topmost men and women who worked tirelessly global think tanks to watch out for in in the defence of an idea―the idea of the coming years. nourishing truly democratic debates on key political and social questions, Yet, no ranking or statistics can reflect the idea of piecing together fractious the true spirit that ORF embodies. dissent to build consensus through The true testament to ORF’s success participatory thinking. remain the people that engage with the organisation both as a part of it and Ideas not only outlive but also outgrow as stakeholders. These have remained the aspirations of their creators, taking our strength, for they are the ones who on a life of their own. And 25 years have made the organisation, and who later it is again the power of ideas that continue to carry us forward. we nurture today that will continue to guide us through the next 25 years of Of those individuals, a special mention excellence. must always be reserved for our 2 L-R Manmohan Singh; P.N. Dhar; R.K. Mishra; P. Chidambram founder chairman, Shri R.K. Mishra. promise, optimism and energy. As we If ORF’s success is owed to its people, move forward, we pledge to continue then nothing makes that case more celebrating intellectual tolerance and persuasively than his own remarkable diversity. life. He was a man born in a different time than ours, but his progressive ideas At the end of 25 years it is my pleasure and deep insights continue to guide us. to articulate the mandate that will guide Today is another moment to salute his us in the coming years. It is a mandate remarkable vision and foresight. that acknowledges the ever-expanding reach of the institution and its ideas, We are an association of many people encourages original thinking, promotes and many generations, united by one innovation and celebrates the differences single convergence―our faith in the amongst us all. It is a mandate that capacity of each generation to build a focuses upon ideas that challenge the better society than the one it was born norm, that strives for institutional into. As ORF completes 25 years, it leadership by creating forums that can also rejuvenates and transforms itself respond to the changing times and have into a younger organisation, one full of a long-term impact. L-R Pranab Mukherjee; R.K. Mishra 3 25 YEARS OF ORF: MILESTONES Conference on ‘India’s Then Maharashtra’s Economic Crisis: Towards Chief Minister a Policy Consensus’; attends conference on then Finance Minister ‘Development Challenges Manmohan Singh and P. in Madhya Pradesh’ Chidambram attend Aug 2003 | Bhopal Jul 1991 | IIC, New Delhi 1st international partnership: ORF-RLS conference on ‘Pluralism, Democracy and Conflict Resolution’ Feb 2003 | Delhi 1991 2003 Conference on ‘India-Russia in 21st Century: Foundation of ORF opens ORF Chennai Partnership’ Jan 2005 | Delhi Sep 1990 opens Dec 2002 1990 2002 2005 1992 2004 ‘National Seminar on ‘International Conference Restructuring Indian Economy’ on Iran: 25 Years after Jan 1992 | IIM Kolkata the Revolution’; former ‘National Dialogue for Economic Distinguished Fellow at Reform & Administrative Changes’ ORF and current Vice Mar 1992 | IIM Ahmedabad President of India Hamid Ansari participates Mar 2004 | Delhi 1997 The US-India partnership project at ORF begins: ‘Conference on Security,’ A.B. Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, in collaboration with the Yashwant Sinha and other Pacific Council, and the prominent ministers attend ORF-PCIP ‘Conference on the ‘Food for All Seminar’ India-US Relations’ Aug 1997 | Parliament Annexe Mar and Sept 2004 | Jamnagar and Los Angeles ORF Mumbai opens Apr 2004 ‘Workshop on Maritime Counterterrorism’ Nov 2004 | Delhi 4 Engaging with Domestic Reforms PM Manmohan Singh Developing External Engagements launches The New Asian Going Global Power Dynamic by M. Rasgotra, Head of the former International Affair Centre 2007 | Delhi Conference on ‘Emerging Security Concerns in West Asia’ Nov 2007 | Delhi Conference on ‘Building India’s Defence Capabilities’ Dec 2007 | Delhi Launch of the Cyber & Media Programme and the 1st edition of CyFy: The Indian Conference on Cyber Security and Cyber Governance 2013 2007 ORF becomes India’s official representative in the BRICS Think Tank Launch of the BRICS Council 2013 Initiative, 2009 2009 2013 2006 2011 2014 Senator John Kerry addresses Asian Forum on Global ORF faculty Jan 2006 | Delhi Governance happens for the Launch of the Nuclear first time 2011 Initiative 2014 Conference on th ‘India-China: The Launch of the Climate, ORF ranks 14 on the list Next Decade’ Sept Energy and Resources ‘Think Tanks to Watch’ in 2006 | Kolkata Programme 2011 the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report 2014 Launch of the Space Chuck Hagel delivers special Initiative 2011 address to commemorate ORF’s 25th year 2014 2010 1st R. K. Mishra Lecture is delivered by Former NSA, Pakistan, General Mahmud Ali Durrani; Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, delivers the 3rd R. K. Mishra Lecture; and Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister of Iran, delivers the 5th R. K. Mishra Lecture. 2010, 2012, 2014 | Delhi 5 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Sunjoy Joshi As I felicitate our Board of Trustees, our In the past year we hosted the first India stakeholders, partners and colleagues Global Forum in partnership with the at the Observer Research Foundation International Institute for Strategic for having completed an exciting and Studies that allowed newly appointed eventful 25 years committed to an Indian cabinet ministers to engage enduring mandate to research policies, with global audiences. We convened processes and reforms, let me briefly the first ever Indian Ocean Dialogue, in highlight the year gone by. partnership with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, that brought together The past year, our 25th, marked yet all the stakeholders in the Indian Ocean another milestone in a journey that Region at the historic city of Kochi in began on 5 September 1990. This was Kerala. We initiated a year-long ‘Road the year that we went global with our to Paris’ initiative focusing on climate conferences, holding them around the change in partnership with the French world from Brazil to South Africa, from government. We embarked on a three Australia, Japan and China to the US, year-long ‘The Future of the Himalayas Europe and Russia. In October 2014, Initiative’ to debate the socio-economic, ORF became the partner organisation ecological and strategic aspects of the for the 6th Core Group Meeting of the Himalayan region through a series of Munich Security Conference at New international conferences in leading Delhi, where the new Indian National global capitals. Security Advisor laid out his vision for the country amongst an august audience Over the last 25 years, ORF has indeed of international political and business emerged as an independent, broad and leaders. Then in February 2015, we multidisciplinary hub for developing hosted the closing panel discussion at and promoting new ideas. Our annual the annual Munich Security Conference publication of 50 research papers in Germany. Earlier in January 2015, ORF and policy briefs, and almost daily hosted 24 of the top think tanks from the commentaries by our in-house experts in G-20 countries in India for the Council leading global and national newspapers, of Councils meeting organised with the flag the contribution our faculty makes Council on Foreign Relations.