IDSA retains top position among Indian think tanks in the 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Survey
February 05, 2018
India’s premier strategic studies institution, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), has retained its top ranking position among Indian think tanks in the 2017 edition of the Global Go To Think Tank Survey conducted by The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.
Now in its 52nd year, IDSA emerges at the top among Indian institutions by being placed at 41st position in the Top Think Tanks Worldwide (U.S. and non-U.S.) list and at 28th in the Top Think Tanks Worldwide (Non-U.S.) category.
Only seven other think tanks from Asia make it to the list of top 50 think tanks in the world (US and non-US). The 41st ranking is a major leap for IDSA, which was ranked at 105th position in 2016. Other institutions from India that figure in this list include the Observer Research Foundation (116), Delhi Policy Group (141), Centre for Land Warfare Studies (168), and Centre for Policy Research (170).
IDSA made progress in the Non-US category as well by moving up to the 28th position from its 30th ranking in the 2016 Survey. The Institute also retains its 7th position in the category covering Top Think Tanks in China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea. IDSA ranks 37th in the global list of Think Tanks doing research in Defence and National Security, and the 117th position among institutions doing research on Foreign Policy and International Affairs.
Similarly, IDSA is placed at 23rd position in the global list of Best Government-affiliated think tanks. The Institute also has a notable presence in categories like Best Use of Media (35); Think Tanks to Watch in 2018 (23); Think Tanks with Best External Relations/Public Engagement Programme (56); and Best Transdisciplinary Research Think Tanks (66).
The 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index (GGTTI) marks the eleventh year of the annual survey which seeks to acknowledge the important contributions and emerging global trends of think tanks worldwide, notwithstanding various methodological flaws that have consistently crept-in into the process.
The 2017 Survey depicts the vibrant think tank community that has emerged in India and the rich culture of debate, research and knowledge dissemination being heralded by these institutions in a manner that echoes the rising profile of the country. Nothing exemplifies this better than the fact that India is placed at 4th among countries with the highest number of think tanks (293), right after the United States of America (1872), China (512) and the United Kingdom (444).
