Observer Research Foundation (ORF)

Observer Research Foundation is an independent, multidisciplinary think tank founded in 1990 at a pivotal moment in India's economic transition. ORF was among the first Indian institutions to bring together economists and policymakers to shape the country's economic reform agenda, and has since grown into a leading voice on India's global engagement, covering economy, security, technology, energy, and development policy. ORF conducts research, hosts platforms such as the Raisina Dialogue, and works with governments, business communities, academia, and civil society in India and internationally.

Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi

Major Areas of Work

• Economy and Growth: Research on trade, finance, and India's economic policy choices.
• Strategic Studies: Security, defence modernisation, and regional geopolitics.
• Energy and Climate Change: Research on green transitions, water, and climate adaptation.
• Inclusive Growth and SDGs: Development, digital inclusion, and sustainable development research.
• International Affairs: India's global partnerships and foreign policy engagement.
• Technology Policy: Research on artificial intelligence, privacy, and digital governance.

Major Initiatives & Programmes

• SUFIP Development Network: A joint initiative with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), building cooperation and research on sustainable finance across the Indo-Pacific, focused on climate change mitigation, energy transition, and global health systems.
• Raisina Dialogue: ORF's flagship international conference on geopolitics and geo-economics.
• Policy Agora: A platform connecting research to policy discourse.
• Centre for New Economic Diplomacy: Research on India's economic diplomacy and international trade.
• Centre for Security, Strategy & Technology: Research on defence, security, and emerging technology policy.

Impact

ORF has operated for over three decades since 1990, publishing extensively across issue briefs, special reports, occasional papers, and books. It runs the Raisina Dialogue, a major annual international conference on geopolitics, and hosts multiple international forums, including the BRICS Think Tanks Council and Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue.

Partners

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) for the SUFIP Development Network, alongside a wide network of public development banks, development financing institutions, governments, and civil society actors engaged through ORF's various centres and forums.

Leadership

• Sunjoy Joshi - Chairman, ORF
• Samir Saran - President, ORF

ORF suits people who want to work at the intersection of research and real-world policy influence, since much of its work feeds directly into government, business, and international forums rather than staying purely academic. It appeals to people motivated by international affairs, economic policy, or technology governance, and to those drawn to a large, well established Indian think tank with global partnerships and platforms like the Raisina Dialogue.