In an effort to enrich contemporary policy frameworks with time-tested wisdom from India’s civilisational heritage, a new policy think tank titled Bharat Ki Soch was officially launched in New Delhi on Friday. The initiative seeks to fuse ancient Indian knowledge systems with present-day governance needs, offering fresh policy perspectives grounded in cultural and philosophical traditions that have shaped the subcontinent for millennia.

According to the organisers, the think tank aims to address national challenges through lenses rooted deeply in India’s intellectual history—from classical texts and philosophical schools to traditional practices of agriculture, statecraft, sustainability, and wellness. This approach, they argue, can enhance the country’s growth trajectory by balancing modern institutional capabilities with enduring indigenous insights.

The launch took place at the Constitution Club of India during an inaugural conference titled “Navigating Growth and Development in Global Uncertain Times.” The event explored how India can sustain its developmental momentum amid global volatility by drawing strength not only from contemporary policy instruments but also from its civilisational foundations.

The conference brought together an array of policymakers, scholars, administrators, and thought leaders. Among those present were former Union ministers Dinesh Trivedi and M. J. Akbar, former culture secretary Raghvendra Singh, HDFC Bank Chairman Atanu Chakraborty, India Foundation President Ram Madhav, former diplomat TCA Raghavan, Advisory Council Chairman Anil Rajput, and Bharat Ki Soch Director R. K. Pachnanda.

Speakers emphasised that India’s future requires a synthesis of traditional knowledge and modern governance. They underscored that indigenous systems—whether in philosophy, economics, ecology, or statecraft—offer valuable frameworks that can inform policy in areas such as:

• governance and institutional design
• economic resilience and equitable growth
• sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship
• public health and wellness systems
• national security and strategic affairs

The panellists noted that while modern policymaking often draws inspiration from global best practices, India’s own knowledge reservoirs remain underutilised. The time, they said, is ripe for reinterpreting concepts from classical Indian texts—such as the Arthashastra, Vedas, Upanishads, Buddhist and Jain teachings, and regional knowledge systems—to meet present-day developmental needs.

According to the official statement, Bharat Ki Soch aims to function as a bridge between ancient scholarship and contemporary policy by promoting interdisciplinary research, expert collaboration, and public engagement. The think tank plans to facilitate academic research, policy papers, seminars, and dialogues that reinterpret traditional wisdom through modern analytical frameworks. This will include examining how spiritual, ethical, and philosophical principles can inform governance models, economic planning, and long-term national strategies.

In his welcome address, Advisory Council Chairman Anil Rajput described the launch as the beginning of a “new intellectual journey” for India. He said the initiative marks more than the establishment of another think tank—it represents an effort to rediscover India’s timeless thought traditions and apply them with renewed confidence in shaping the nation’s development narrative.

“Today marks not just an event,” Rajput said, “it is the beginning of a journey to rediscover India’s timeless knowledge and reimagine our growth story with confidence, clarity and cultural rootedness.”

With the launch of Bharat Ki Soch, organisers expressed hope that India’s policy discourse will increasingly reflect a synthesis of ancient depth and modern dynamism—helping the nation navigate global uncertainties while remaining anchored in its own intellectual legacy.