Projects: 20+
Publications: 35+
Partners: 20+
Events: 50+
CSDR is a new-age think tank and consultancy deeply committed to producing meaningful change. Based in New Delhi, we offer various services, including independent analysis, policy advisories, and consulting solutions, to help governments, businesses, and institutions navigate complex challenges and seize new opportunities.
Our unique approach combines the best of global and regional expertise to deliver tailored interventions rooted in rigorous research and experiential knowledge. This allows us to provide our partners with innovative solutions specifically designed to meet their unique needs and challenges.
CSDR’s expertise covers foreign policy, geopolitical risk, connectivity and geoeconomics, defense and aerospace, military strategy, strategic technologies, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, climate change, energy security, and tech policy. We specialize in the Indian subcontinent, Eurasia, and the Indo-Pacific.
OUR STORY AND PURPOSE
At CSDR, we are driven by our passion for critical thinking and rational analysis. By understanding the underlying forces that shape our world, we help our partners anticipate change and develop strategies that enable them to thrive in an ever-changing environment.
Our core values of independent research, informed advocacy, and inclusive dialogue guide everything we do. We are committed to delivering in-depth, non-partisan analysis that cuts through the noise and gives our partners the insights they need to make informed decisions. We are dedicated to fostering open and honest communication between stakeholders from all sectors.
With a team of exceptionally competent researchers and practitioners and a focus on the Indian subcontinent, Eurasia, and the Indo-Pacific, CSDR is uniquely positioned to help its partners navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century. Our interventions drive real change in the thoughts and actions of our audiences.
FOUNDERS
Dr. Happymon Jacob
Founder & Director
Happymon Jacob is the founder and director of CSDR. He directs CSDR’s research and activities across divisions.
Lt Gen D S Hooda (Retd)
Co-Founder
D S Hooda co-founded CSDR and directs projects of its defense and security verticals.
Dr. Gaurav Saini
Co-Founder
Gaurav Saini is co-founder of CSDR and leads product design and partnerships.
TEAM
Treesa Shaju
Programme Associate
Treesa Shaju is a Programme Associate at CSDR. She helps manage the South Asian Futures Fellowship.
Ankit Tiwari
Research Assistant
Ankit is a Research Assistant at CSDR, and provides research support for projects under Centre for Security and Defense. He regularly contributes to DIPTEL, CSDR’s weekly newsletter, and is engaged in organizing and reporting on Round Table Discussions.
Devika Makkat
Programme Associate
Devika Makkat is Programme Associate - Operations at CSDR.the Council for Strategic and Defense Research, New Delhi.
Pranav Satyanath
Research Associate
Pranav R Satyanath is a Research Associate at CSDR. At CSDR’s Space Technology and Policy vertical, he works on issues related to India’s domestic space sector and the evolution of space policy and law in India.
Amba Wattal
Research Assistant
Amba Wattal is a Research Assistant (Indo-Pacific) at CSDR. She is currently working on the Indo-Pacific Circle, a regionally owned and operated platform for indigenous knowledge production and exchange for the Indo-Pacific.
Manu Sharma
Research Associate
Manu Sharma is a Research Associate at CSDR, specializing in visual politics and methodologies for International Security Studies. He supports CSDR's research on peacebuilding, counterterrorism, and South Asian regionalism, and provides research assistance to Dr Happymon Jacob.
Aanvi Singh
Program Intern
Aanvi Singh is a Research Intern at CSDR and she supports the Operations and Communications Team.
Naresh Kannan
Research Intern
Naresh is a Research Intern at CSDR and he focuses on space technology and policy, driving innovation.
Nihal Krishnan
Felow
Nihal Krishan is an award-winning journalist and scholar who focuses on the nexus of tech and politics. After spending a decade as a reporter in Washington, D.C., Nihal moved to New Delhi to cover tech policy and online speech issues in India. He grew up in S.Korea, Saudi Arabia, India and Singapore.
Harshit Prajapati
Research Intern
Harshit is PhD candidate at School of International Studies, JNU and a research intern at CSDR.
Prisie L Patnayak
Research Intern
Prisie is PhD candidate at School of International Studies, JNU and a research intern at CSDR.
Amen Naithani
Research Associate
Amen is a Research Associate at CSDR and works on projects under the Indo-Pacific and Climate Security and Diplomacy programs.
Dr. Tishya Khillare
Fellow
Dr. Tishya Khillare is a Fellow at the Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR), New Delhi. She leads CSDR's work on Non-traditional Security issues in South Asia and the Indo Pacific, specifically on Climate Diplomacy, South-South and Triangular Cooperation, Feminist Foreign Policy, and Gender and Security.
Dr. Sidharth Raimedhi
Fellow
Sidharth Raimedhi is a Fellow at CSDR. He is the editor-in-chief, and contributor, to the DIPTEL newsletter which covers contemporary Indian foreign policy developments on a weekly basis.
Dr. Ritesh Kumar
Fellow
Ritesh Kumar is a Fellow at CSDR and leads on CSDR's program on AI and Linguistics.
ADVISORY BOARD
WHY WE EXIST
At CSDR, we are driven by our passion for critical thinking and rational analysis. By understanding the underlying forces that shape our world, we help our partners anticipate change and develop strategies that enable them to thrive in an ever-changing environment.
Our core values of independent research, informed advocacy, and inclusive dialogue guide everything we do. We are committed to delivering in-depth, non-partisan analysis that cuts through the noise and gives our partners the insights they need to make informed decisions. We are dedicated to fostering open and honest communication between stakeholders from all sectors, building bridges and fostering collaboration that drives real change.
With a team of highly competent researchers and practitioners and a focus on the Indian subcontinent, Eurasia, and the Indo-Pacific, CSDR is uniquely positioned to help its partners navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century. Our interventions drive real change in the thoughts and actions of our audiences. Effecting such change is what drives us forward.