Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay

The Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies at IIT Bombay was set up in 2016 to provide a fillip to the study of Public Policy. Policy Studies is a relatively nascent discipline in India. Given the increasing complexities of the economy, international relations, technology, and governance, this discipline must imperatively take firm roots in our polity and society. The academic community has an important role to play in this regard. In setting up this centre, we hope to make valuable contributions to the field of Policy Studies. We have established a PhD programme, and the first batch of doctoral students joined the centre in Autumn 2017. In July 2019, we welcomed our first batch of students for the Master's Programme in Public Policy. Our researchers work on diverse topics ranging from information economy and governance to natural resource management, from manual scavenging to smart cities, and public health to corporate social responsibility. IIT Bombay has a strong tradition of interdisciplinary research—an approach at the heart of Policy Studies. Along with its core strength in traditional science and engineering disciplines, IIT Bombay has a fully integrated Humanities and Social Science Department, a business school (SJMSOM), and several interdisciplinary centres such as one for design (IDC) and one for the study of technology alternatives for rural areas (CTARA). Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies aims to collaborate with and contribute to these various disciplines, borrowing their strengths and offering policy expertise.