New Delhi: A challenge looms before India, said former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. And this is – as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid out – the goal to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047.
“It will require think tanks who have the vibrancy, dynamism and who can think out of the box. A think tank that is rigorous in research, bold and dynamic enough to tell the government that you were wrong here,” said Kant at the foundation day anniversary of Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) at Delhi’s ITC Maurya Hotel.
Chintan Research Foundation is an independent think-tank that has been set up with the support of the Adani Group, and will focus on areas such as climate energy and transition, economy and trade, and geopolitics and strategic studies. India has seen an unprecedented growth in think tanks in recent years—from just 121 in 2008 to 612 in 2020—becoming the country with the third-highest number of think tanks after the United States and China.
Administrators, policymakers, and senior journalists gathered to celebrate CRF’s first foundation day. The panellists included Pranav Adani, Managing Director (Agro, Oil and Gas) and Director, Adani Enterprises, along with former IAS officer Kant. They spoke about everything – from India’s global aspirations to the critical role of think tanks in policy making.
“India is not only Delhi or the capital cities; India really lives in the heartland. Whether it is Raipur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar or the Northeast, this is where the real India lives, and our research at CRF will focus on the real India…This is how we will move towards the Viksit Bharat vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Pranav Adani.
The President of CRF, Shishir Priyadarshi, described the new think tank as “an invitation to do chintan – to reflect.” Its foundation, he said, rests on three core tenets: climate change, energy transition, and trade and economics.
“At CRF, we want reflection to lead to action; and action to lead to a meaningful change, and finally, this change would lead to a people-centric development,” said Priyadarshi.
Fighting skepticism
Shishir Priyadarshi recalled the immense scepticism he faced while building CRF. Many asked, ‘There are already so many think tanks in India. What new will you offer?’
“I had sleepless nights. There was no user manual, no one to tell us how to set up a think tank,” he remembered.
The journey began modestly in 2023—with the hiring of four interns. At the time, CRF didn’t even have an office. That’s when Priyadarshi discovered cafes where young interns would gather and work.
“We used to hold staff meetings in cafes,” he laughed. “And slowly, these four young interns began to take shape—as designers, planners, researchers. And whenever I felt low, they were the ones who calmed me.”
Then came the first research fellow—and the office in South Delhi. But even that wasn’t easy. Priyadarshi recalled how construction work was stalled for three months in between, due to Delhi’s hazardous air quality.
But the office was set up in 2024, and more fellows soon joined. This was followed by the website and with it, as the CRF president put it, “refreshing the website 10 times a day whenever they posted something.”
Also read: Think tanks acting as war rooms. This is what Indian political parties are building for 2024
Fostering collaboration
As Priyadarshi recalled the baby steps that led to the creation of CRF. Pranav Adani spoke about the role of policymaking in taking the country forward.
“As planned, CRF’s research will focus on crucial issues such as climate change, equitable energy transition, the evolving global economy, and the overreaching geopolitics that shape the future of the world.”
He ended his speech by describing CRF as an institution that would foster collaboration and insight from all quarters—entrepreneurs, policymakers, trade negotiators, local innovators, and academics—united by a common cause.
Following the speeches, the annual report booklet for 2024–25 was launched. Priyadarshi then invited his team to stand and asked the audience to give them a round of applause. Heads turned to the back of the hall, where a group of men in formal shirts and women in sarees stood smiling. And the room echoed with claps.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)