Centre for Policy Research

What Centre for Policy Research does

The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is a non-profit, non-partisan, independent policy think tank established in 1973 and headquartered in New Delhi (Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri). It generates research that targets evidence-based policymaking in India through publications, events, and direct advisory work, serving government policymakers, academic researchers, civil society, and the general public. Core outputs include policy briefs and reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, working papers, books, book chapters, blogs, opinion pieces, and the 'India Speak' podcast; CPR also runs dedicated research initiatives covering transboundary rivers (TREADS), cities/economy/society, land rights, and politics, plus events ranging from workshops to film screenings across 20+ thematic areas including climate change, governance, health, water, urbanisation and international relations. The business model is grant-funded: CPR is registered as a not-for-profit society under the Government of India and receives contributions from domestic and international sources, including the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the World Bank, IDRC, and corporate philanthropy. All research and events are made available free of charge; faculty directly contribute to governmental committees, task forces, and legislative drafting. CPR has faced significant regulatory headwinds since a September 2022 Income Tax survey: the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended its FCRA status in February 2023 and cancelled it on 10 January 2024, materially constraining access to foreign funding.

Name

Centre for Policy Research

Legal name

Centre for Policy Research

Website

https://cprindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is a non-profit, non-partisan Indian policy think tank, founded in 1973 in New Delhi, that conducts multi-disciplinary policy research and disseminates it through publications, events and a podcast to government, academia, civil society and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research & Advisory Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Think tank services
• Policy advisory
• Governance research
• Policy publications

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Funding: CPR receives grants from a variety of domestic and international sources, including foundations, corporate philanthropy, governments, and multilateral agencies. It receives grants from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) and is a Department of Science and Technology (DST) recognised institution.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Centre for Policy Research conducts independent, non-partisan public policy research and provides advisory inputs to Indian central and state governments. It produces a portfolio of research publications — policy briefs and reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, working papers, books and book chapters — and runs thematic research initiatives, podcasts, and convening events that bridge academic scholarship with policy design and implementation.

Product overview

The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is one of India's leading public policy think tanks established in 1973. CPR operates as a non-profit, non-partisan, independent research institution that does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of research publications and programs. The core offerings include Policy Briefs & Reports, Journal Articles, Working Papers, and the India Speak: The CPR Podcast for audio content. CPR also conducts Events and Workshops featuring expert discussions on policy issues. The organization maintains several focused Research Initiatives including TREADS (Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies & Development Studies), the Initiative on Cities Economy & Society, the Land Rights Initiative, and The Politics Initiative. These initiatives conduct in-depth research across thematic areas spanning climate change, governance, health, education, water policy, and urban development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Briefs & Reports
• Journal Articles
• Working Papers
• India Speak: The CPR Podcast
• Events and Workshops
• TREADS: Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies & Development Studies
• Initiative on Cities, Economy & Society
• Land Rights Initiative
• The Politics Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• Led to drafting of important legislations and enabling reforms
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, moderate and minor.

• NamatimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation focused on governance and justice. CPR-Namati Environmental Justice Program collaboration documented in multiple publications.
• Brown UniversitymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnership for research collaboration.
• The New SchoolmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnership for research and scholarly exchange.
• IGIDRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndira Gandhi Institute of Development Research - academic research collaboration.
• Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench research institute in India. Co-hosting workshop on Amaravati and India's Urban Future.
• IDFCmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure finance company involved in 3iNetwork consortium with IIT Kanpur and IIM Ahmedabad.
• Lincoln Institute of Land PolicymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research organisation focused on land policy. Collaboration noted in climate governance research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): A larger, established Indian research institution with overlapping climate, energy and sustainable-development mandates. TERI overlaps with CPR's environment, water and energy research areas but operates at significantly greater scale and with broader programmatic scope.
• Brookings Institution: A leading global policy think tank that previously operated Brookings India in New Delhi. Comparable as a higher-edjacent policy research institution with similar multidisciplinary coverage, though at substantially greater scale and international footprint than CPR.

Direct peers

• Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations: Mumbai-based independent foreign-policy and economics think tank. Shares CPR's focus on Indian foreign policy, governance and international affairs, and competes for similar philanthropic funding, scholar engagement and media visibility.
• Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER): New Delhi-based economic policy think tank focused on trade, investment, agriculture and climate. ICRIER shares CPR's policy-research orientation, government-engagement model, and overlapping board (Ashok Gulati is on both ICRIER and CPR boards), making it a strong operational peer.
• Observer Research Foundation (ORF): One of India's largest and most active non-partisan think tanks headquartered in New Delhi. ORF is the closest direct peer to CPR, operating across similar foreign policy, governance, and domestic policy verticals and competing for the same government committee placements and donor funding.
• National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER): India's oldest economic policy think tank, conducting data-driven research on growth, taxation, and governance. Directly comparable to CPR on policy rigor, government engagement, and multi-decade institutional legacy, though with a stronger quantitative/economics tilt.
• Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA): New Delhi-based foreign-policy think tank established by the Government of India. CPR's board member T. C. A. Raghavan is a former ICWA Director General, evidencing direct personnel overlap and a shared foreign-policy and international-relations research agenda.
• IDFC Foundation: Indian think tank focused on infrastructure, finance, and sustainable urbanization, co-led with IIT Kanpur and IIM Ahmedabad via the 3iNetwork. CPR is a documented partner in this consortium, making IDFC a closely collaborating peer rather than a distant comparable.

Others

• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major US-headquartered think tank with a former India center (Carnegie India) that directly competed with CPR in Delhi-based policy research. Although Carnegie India closed in 2023, Carnegie Endowment remains a comparable global incumbent in policy research methodology and convening.

Emerging players

• Asia Society Policy Institute: New York-based policy arm of the Asia Society focused on issues including India's role in Asia. Comparable to CPR through its policy research output and convening power in Asia-related foreign policy, though with a narrower India mandate and US institutional base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CPR_India
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCT0LvSYjYr2gmUDhx7Z3wtw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentreforPolicyResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-policy-research/?trk=ppro_cprof
• Instagraminstagram.com/cpr_india/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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