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इंडो-पॅसिफिक क्षेत्रात चीनच्या वाढत्या तैनाती व खोल समु�

India’s fintech sector is witnessing robust growth, and the optimism around fintech in the country is likely to increase as structured countrywide f

China’s civilian research deployments for deep seabed mining in the Indo-Pacific are a cause for concern and a call for cooperation

Maritime governance must centre coastal communities; South Africa has taken crucial steps towards addressing the challenges faced by these communities

The government should focus on linking established startup clusters with emerging hubs, rather than creating new ecosystems in new areas in a bid to c

The ambitious targets of the city climate action plans will be challenging to achieve unless they focus on conserving and revitalising the bird divers

ডিজিটাল উদ্ভাবনী বাস্তুতন্ত্রগুলি বিশ্বব্যাপী উন্নয়�

सुंदरबनच्या संवर्धनासाठी नवी दिल्ली आणि ढाका सातत्याने

Despite efforts by New Delhi and Dhaka to conserve the Sundarbans, institutional safeguards do not effectively translate into on-the-ground protection

जागतिक विकासासाठी डिजिटल इनोव्हेशनची इकोसिस्टम आवश्यक

डिजिटल आविष्कार के इकोसिस्टम वैश्विक विकास के लिए आवश्य�

Digital innovation ecosystems are crucial for global development, but balanced growth requires adaptive capacity to optimise their performance

लोकांच्या आणि पृथ्वीच्या आरोग्य विषयक नियमांची चौकट एक�

Constitutional provisions for the right to health cannot be realised without integrating frameworks for the health of people and the planet.

The use of digital twin technologies in renewable energy ecosystems will benefit producers, consumers, and governments alike

भारत को महिलाओं के सशक्तिकरण के प्रति अपने वादे को पूरा क�

The data landscape across the G20 remains highly uneven, with some countries being able to effectively harness D4D while others experience significant

Concerted efforts need to be undertaken to close the gender data gap before gender bias becomes an inextricable part of emerging generative AI ecosyst

By combining the power of AI with the wisdom of native intelligence, more effective climate actions can be developed

The politicisation of the water issues of the Indus system has overshadowed the much-required integrated basin governance

मालदीव की कई सरकारों ने हाल के वर्षों में बढ़ते कट्टरपंथ �

West Asia’s geostrategic shift can be witnessed as the Middle Eastern countries increasingly develop closer ties with China

Blue bonds, like green bonds, can catalyse global capital to work towards the conservation of our marine ecosystems

As the ecosystem evolves and companies mature, there are dire requirements for the next phase of innovation driven growth.

What does the quest by Chinese companies for "top-to-bottom" domination of digital platforms mean for India?

Crowdfunding is a concept that refers to an open call for finances, often for innovative or unique projects and campaigns. Crowdfunding platforms act as intermediators between supporter and project, investor and investee, or lender and lendee. The platforms intermediate this process by arranging the payment process between the parties. This brief outlines the benefits of crowdfunding for improving access to financing for small and medium enterpri

This paper argues in favour of integrating valuation of ecosystem services in development policy planning in India. The paper presents three cases where monetary values of ecosystem services have been estimated to illustrate the significance of the exercise: the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) in Uttarakhand, the Kunigal Wetlands in Karnataka, and the Indian Sundarbans Delta (ISD) in West Bengal. The first two cases highlight the ecosystem-livelihoods

The management of fish stocks along the Bengal coast has traditionally relied on the formula of dictating where, when, and how much to catch of one particular kind of fish to mitigate the risk of stock depletion. This paper argues that this conventional approach is inadequate in dealing with the multitude of threats, both local and global, posed by anthropogenic interventions in the natural systems and processes. It builds a case for an Ecosystem

The geographical and socioeconomic characteristics of small island developing states (SIDS) expose them to unique challenges. Climate change, in particular, poses a severe threat to SIDS, with rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and changing precipitation patterns negatively affecting their ecosystems, economies, and communities. This brief assesses the challenges faced by SIDS in accessing traditional climate financing and analyses the effec

The Observer Research Foundation’s first Tech Huddle was held on 23 November 2023 and focused on the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in India, highlighting the rapid growth and adoption of AI as well as the complexities associated with developing regulatory frameworks for it. AI governance is in its infancy, both globally and in India, and grapples with issues such as the explainability of AI systems as well as the embedded biases, s

The European Union’s (EU) and India’s paths towards becoming “cyber powers” could hardly be more different. The EU has a long tradition of protecting personal privacy rights and patents, while urging to enhance multilateral norms on cyberspace. India’s thinking on cybersecurity has continuously been boosted by the cyber threats emerging from China and Pakistan. It has further been shaped by India’s domestic Information Technology indu

Wetlands are important ecosystems that provide benefits such as flood control, water purification, and biodiversity conservation. In India, however, wetlands are threatened by pollution, encroachment, and rampant real estate development. This brief assesses the East Kolkata Wetlands to illustrate the challenges of preserving urban wetlands in India. It also presents recommendations to establish more comprehensive wetlands management and conservat

The integration of Science, Technology and Innovation goals into national policies helps achieve sustained economic and social development. This brief examines the key parameters that govern the global and Indian innovation ecosystems: research investment, education policy, researcher density, publication output, number of patents registered, and the startup environment. It finds that certain elements are crucial in developing a robust strategic

Birds provide multiple benefits to the world’s ecosystems. In recent years, experts have raised the alarm about deteriorating bird populations, with some species becoming extinct and others threatened to dangerous levels. This decline in avian populations is primarily attributed to urbanisation. Concerted efforts are required to conserve birds and their habitats in cities. The Government of India, state governments, urban local bodies, non-gove

The Indo-Pacific, which holds most of the world’s mangroves, faces serious risks from natural disasters, including those related to the long-term sustainability of coastal communities and valuable ecosystems. Mangroves uphold biodiversity, support ecosystem functionality, and sustain local livelihoods; however, financing their conservation is proving to be a massive challenge. This report examines the ecosystem services provided by mangroves, i

Will data localisation — or a diluted mirroring requirement — serve India’s strategic interests as outlined in the Srikrishna Committee’s report? Moving forward, how can India build data ecosystems that not only feed back into domestic innovation but also protect user privacy at scale keeping in mind the interests of the private sector?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the formal schooling system in India, as it has across the globe, causing massive pressure on the online education sector. This paper analyses the state of digitalised education in India. It outlines current government guidelines on digital-mode schooling, and uses the case of Maharashtra’s five-year-old efforts at digitalising government schools to gauge preparedness for implementing the guidelines. It highl

Globally, healthcare has made great strides in making vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics available to more people. Yet, infectious diseases continue to pose a significant threat in many parts of the world, and the SARS, Ebola, and Zika crises are only a few of the recent outbreaks that draw attention to the weaknesses of public health systems. In India, the recent epidemics of Nipah virus and acute encephalitis syndrome call attention to the

With natural resources being exploited beyond scope of regeneration, excessive pollutants accumulating in the biosphere, and ecosystems and biodiversity undergoing life-threatening degradation, industrial policies that steer investment towards a greener economy have become an imperative. This paper examines the green component of the industrial policies of 14 Indian states which have been found to be responsible for more than 80 percent o

Grasslands that provide a variety of ecosystem services for humans—including carbon storage, which is important to mitigating climate change—are among the world’s most threatened habitats. In India, grassy ecosystems are not accorded any legal protection. Vast acres of these grasslands are converted for revenue-generating use, altering their ecological dynamics and threatening the livelihoods and cultures of pastoral and agrarian communitie

Democracy costs a lot of money. To fight elections and run their routine activities, political parties in India seek donations from all possible sources including ‘illegal’ and ‘interested’ money. This has serious ramifications in preserving the integrity of Indian democracy. An increasing number of countries, meanwhile, have taken the path of public subsidies and direct funding of parties and political activities — aiming to reduce dep

The application of emerging technologies will play a key role in the performance of India’s armed forces. All three services understand the significance of these technological innovations in modern warfare, although their development has been uneven across the branches. This analysis provides an overview of how far the three services of the Indian armed forces have gone in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber technology, and

Cross-border migration poses security challenges for the modern nation-state, as the influx of populations exert massive pressures on a country’s resources and governance ecosystems. The undocumented migrants, for their part, not only struggle for their livelihood but often face fundamental crises of identity and belonging. Using the case of India’s eastern borders, this paper problematises the phenomenon of migration against the dich

Rivers are the world’s most important ecosystems, not simply a source of water and energy

जी-२० देशांमधील डेटासंबंधीचे वातावरण अतिशय असमान आहे. काही देश ‘विकासासाठी डेटा’ प्रभावीपणे वापरण्यास सक्षम आहेत, तर इतरांना यासाठी अनेक आव्हानांचा सामना करावा लागत आह�