The Launch of The Hind — A Think Tank and Culture Lab for India’s Future
We are pleased to announce the formal launch of The Hind, India’s first integrated think tank and culture lab dedicated exclusively to advancing the field of Applied India Studies. Rooted in civilisational insight and committed to addressing contemporary challenges, The Hind brings together rigorous research, public thought, field engagement, and cultural inquiry under one institutional platform.
At a moment when India’s soft power and global relevance are expanding, there remains an urgent need to build frameworks that do not simply study India from afar, but engage with it from within—across regions, languages, philosophies, and communities. The Hind answers this call. It offers a new institutional architecture to think with India, not merely about it.
A New Institution for a New Idea of India
India’s civilisational depth offers generative insights into ethics, governance, pluralism, sustainability, and global order. Yet, mainstream academic and policy frameworks often marginalise these insights, treating India as a subject of analysis rather than a source of frameworks. The Hind takes a different approach. It sees India as a method—as a way of thinking about leadership, knowledge, and society. Its mission is to transform how India is studied, taught, and applied, both within the country and globally.
The Hind is positioned at the intersection of scholarship, culture, and action. Its work is anchored in the conviction that deep knowledge must be coupled with real-world engagement, and that civilisational values must be mobilised to shape public life and institutional transformation.
The Four Domains of Our Work
The Hind’s work spans four key domains. The first is research and public thought. Here, the institution produces essays, policy briefs, and thematic white papers that draw from Indic frameworks to illuminate contemporary global and national issues. These outputs are designed to bridge theory and application, offering fresh perspectives on long-standing debates.
Second is field-based learning and fellowships. The Hind designs and supports immersive educational programs that allow learners to engage directly with India’s social, cultural, and political realities. Programs such as the Hind Fellow, Hind Scholar, and Hind Explorer exemplify this approach, combining academic depth with civic immersion.
The third domain is cultural engagement. The Hind collaborates with artists, archivists, community historians, and tradition bearers to document and revitalize India’s living cultural ecosystems. Through oral history projects, regional field studies, and digital archives, The Hind ensures that culture is not merely preserved but actively reinterpreted.
Finally, The Hind fosters strategic partnerships across sectors. By working with universities, think tanks, CSR networks, and civil society organisations, it creates scalable models of India-centric learning and impact. These partnerships are designed not just for knowledge exchange, but for long-term institutional co-creation.
Part of the Hind Culture Lab Ecosystem
The Hind is one of three founding initiatives under the umbrella of Hind Culture Lab. Alongside it is The Hind School, a pioneering educational institution offering postgraduate programs in Applied India Studies, and The Hind Fund, a private philanthropic initiative that supports scholarships, regional partnerships, and research infrastructure in this emerging field.
Together, these three institutions form a comprehensive ecosystem committed to mainstreaming India Studies through immersive learning, field-based research, and civilisational dialogue.
Our Next Steps
In the coming year, The Hind will publish a series of essays and white papers focused on Indic ethics, knowledge systems, and India's role in the Global South. It will also launch its inaugural cohort of fellows and host workshops, field residencies, and collaborative forums. A curated India Studies Commons is also under development, offering educators, students, and institutions access to open-source learning resources, case studies, and research tools.
At the same time, The Hind will deepen its engagement with regional knowledge centres, cultural organisations, and international academic partners. Through this, it aims to not only shape the discourse on India, but to build institutional bridges that reflect its complexity and promise.
An Invitation to Collaborate
The Hind is not just an institution; it is a platform for people and ideas. It welcomes scholars, educators, researchers, policy thinkers, and cultural practitioners who believe that India offers original and urgent insights into today’s global challenges. Its work will grow through dialogue, collaboration, and shared commitment.
We invite you to be part of this journey. Whether as a partner institution, research collaborator, donor, or fellow, there is a place for you in building the future of Applied India Studies.
To learn more, visit www.thehind.org
The Hind
Where India Thinks Forward.
