New Delhi: A new research-focused and policy advocacy think tank, funded by the Adani Group, is all set to be launched very soon, according to people in the know.
The aim of the body, to be headquartered in New Delhi, is to research and advocate on behalf of not just India, but also the larger “Global South”.
The Chintan Research Foundation, as it is set to be named, will receive Rs 100 crore funding from the Adani Group, a senior official in the company told ThePrint, but added that “this could be more in the future”.
However, the official maintained the think tank would be kept independent from the Adani Group, with its own governance structure and board of directors.
“The Adani Group is just doing the initial funding. We also envisage that it will have its own secular stream of revenue, and that it will be able to stand on its own in a little while,” the official said, on condition of anonymity since no official announcement has yet been made.
He added that the launch of the foundation would happen “very soon” and that “everything was in place” for it.
The Adani Group declined to comment on the subject, saying nothing official has been released yet on it.
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On behalf of India & ‘Global South’
The purpose behind this think tank, according to the official, will be to advocate on behalf of India and the larger “Global South”. This comes soon after the Narendra Modi government strongly put forth its case to be the “voice of the Global South” during the G20 summit that took place in Delhi last year, with India as its president.
The Chintan Research Foundation will not only conduct research — initially focused on the three pillars of climate change and energy transition, geopolitics and strategic affairs, and economy and trade — but will also advocate on behalf of India’s interests on global platforms such as COP29, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization, the official explained.
“At the moment, even if there is some research happening on the Global South, it is being done by Western countries,” the official said. “While it’s about the Global South in name, such research and advocacy is in favour of the US and Europe. This think tank, based in India but with a global outreach, will lead research that is not only in the interest of India but of the entire Global South,” he added.
The Indian government used its presidency of the G20 last year to successfully push for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 grouping.
Speaking at the two “Voice of the Global South” summits in January and November 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this achievement, and also said that “Bharat feels proud of the fact that we got the opportunity to add the voice of the Global South to the agenda in an important forum like G20”.
Seen as answer to Ambani-funded ORF
The Chintan Research Foundation is being seen as Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani’s counter to the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) funded by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance.
However, while the Adani Group official did not agree with this assessment, he did say there was a shortage of such bodies in India at the scale to make a global impact.
“The think tank and advocacy space in India looks very crowded, but there are just one or two at the required scale and size that can have an impact on global policymaking and thinking,” the official said.
He added that the think tank, though headquartered in Delhi, would also soon have offices in London and Washington, and in several capitals of Indian states, such as Mumbai and Bengaluru “to begin with”.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
A large domestic funding, initially in the form of a grant, to a think tank that would focus on the climate arena as part of its research mandate is a welcome development in the light of the fact that many of the current think tanks that do similar work have to continuously look at FCRA funding to sustain their operations.