Rewriting the “India Story”: Adanis and others establish think institutes to dispel “misunderstandings” throughout the world

Foreigners, according to critics, just “get” India. The Adanis and other major stakeholders are now spending a lot of money to alter public opinion throughout the world. The Adani family is establishing the Chintan Research Foundation, a think tank with a startup fund of Rs 100 crore. With the start of the Modi government’s anticipated third term, the Adani Group hopes that this enormous budget would pave the way for a completely new narrative about India and the global south.

Now let’s go to London, where the International Centre for Sustainability (ICfS), another think tank, just opened for business. “Being the interface between the West and India” is its lofty objective. Richly endowed as well, the ICfS has taken over three floors of a 5,000 square foot office space close to Monument in the center of the City of London.

The founder, director, and trustee of ICfS Sachin Nandha claims that “the West has been misinterpreting India.” “The India that many still see is the India that existed 15–20 years ago, if not longer. The representation of India has not been updated.

On a smaller scale, Pankaj Saran, a former foreign service officer, has taken on the role of Convenor at Natstrat, an independent center for research on strategic and security issues situated in Delhi. Up until 2021, Saran served as the deputy national security adviser. Since then, she has conducted frequent online conversations with security specialists and other former foreign service personnel who may provide “insights into geopolitics, technology, and national security.”

These think tanks want to be globally influential and to leave a lasting impression, particularly in the West. The Chintan Foundation will have offices in London, New York, and other Indian cities, including Bangalore, in addition to its headquarters in Delhi. Its goal will be to advocate on behalf of the global south and India. It will first concentrate on topics like energy transition, climate change, and, of course, global finance.

The global south advocacy of the Chintan Research Foundation aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for India to be “the voice of the global south” at the G20 meeting in New Delhi last year.

The Adanis claim that there will be no closer ties between them and the foundation, and that their involvement would be limited to providing financing for the institution, whose first study will center on energy transition and climate change, as well as geopolitics, the economy, and commerce. The organization also seeks to alter the foreign observers’ perception of India in international fora such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization. Now, headhunters are searching India and beyond for highly renowned scholars and geopolitical specialists who meet the foundation’s requirements.

Most importantly, the organization believes that India’s voice is not adequately heard globally, despite its size and economic might. “Today, most of the conversation about global climate change and geopolitical interests emanates from Western countries and does not necessarily represent the interests of India or the global south,” says one professor connected to the foundation. This think-tank aims to bridge that gap.

While providing the Rs 100 crore initial cash, the company anticipates the foundation will generate income on its own. In 1991, the think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) was established by Dhirubhai Ambani’s Reliance company. Even though it claims to be an independent organization and has amassed a network of financial supporters, Reliance nevertheless provides a significant portion of its money.

At ICfS, similar views on the dominance of the West in the field of ideas are prevalent. According to Nandha of ICfs, “there were no independent European or British institutions looking and understanding the amazing phenomenon that is India.”

“I saw that our political leaders and civil service had a very limited understanding of India… and we felt that was leading to some bad decisions,” adds Nandha, who is currently busy setting up roundtable discussions and panels to raise awareness of the newly formed organization (which officially debuted on April 10).

Bringing India, Europe, and the US closer together is one of the main goals of the ICfS, in addition to subjects like developing technology and its impact on democracy. “We want to be the interface between the West and India,” Nandha says. Furthermore, we are essentially democratic. We have a full-time researcher who only studies democracy in Indian and European contexts.

Nandha, an NRI who was born and raised in Britain, is certain that despite the two nations’ long-standing historical ties, Britain still has a very limited grasp of India. He continues, “It’s probably true from the Indian side as well.”

Notably, he goes on to say that Western thought hasn’t kept up with the developments that have occurred in India over the last several decades. He contends that India, which has failed to effectively convey the changes that have rocked the nation in recent decades, bears some of the responsibility for the current state of affairs.

For the last seven or eight years, Nandha has been thinking about the long-term project known as ICfS. However, he started working on it throughout the previous nine months. Researchers that will focus on important areas like ecology and the environment have already been employed by him. In addition, they are investigating animal rights, water conservation, and reforestation. “Our role is to ensure that India and the West are collaborating at every level,” Nandha states.

The question marks above these think tanks should come as no surprise. For example, the Adanis are well known to be quite close to the present administration, even though they swear they will remain hands off. Shaurya Doval is also one of the fellows of ICfS. Doval is the son of Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor. He is also the main man behind the India Foundation, a right-wing think organization with its headquarters in Delhi.

Nandha maintains that ICfS is completely free of any government ties, even in the face of such affiliations. “The quick response to any political connections is no.” That’s how Shaurya is so excellent. He is aware that our goals are completely different. We are not affiliated with any political party, either locally or nationally. He notes that Shaurya Doval will be examining the “political economy side of things” in his capacity as a fellow at the foundation.

However, when Indian agents were said to have shot Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Canadian gurdwara, the ICfS was fast to defend the government. According to a sharp article written by Charlotte Littlewood, Director of UK-India Relations, “Justin Trudeau’s accusation last week that India was responsible for the assassination of the Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada may go down as one of the most detrimental foreign policy gaffes of the decade.” An additional section detailed the Ram Temple and the battle to construct it.

Saran, for his part, has always been a professional diplomat, having served as ambassador to Moscow and Bangladesh in addition to holding important positions in Washington. In addition, he was the current administration’s deputy national security adviser from 2018 to 2021, therefore he is familiar with its philosophy.

Establishing a think-tank that produces thought-provoking ideas is a difficult task. Consult Nitin Pai, director of Bangalore’s Takshashila Institution and co-founder. Pai has transformed Takshashila into a strong organization with multidisciplinary competence during the last 14 years. Additionally, it has transformed into a public policy school, with around 1,000 graduates every year. According to data, we are now India’s biggest public policy school, according to Pai. Takshashila has avoided problems with the government since it made the decision early on not to accept foreign money.

Is India able to market its ideas globally? According to Pai, it hasn’t happened yet. According to Pai, “The trade balance of ideas still does not work in our favor.” We continue to be a net importer of concepts related to public policy and global challenges. I believe that the way we exchange ideas has to be adjusted.

That’s precisely what the new think-tanks entering the intellectual battleground are trying to do.