Centre for Society and Policy, IISc

Name

Centre for Society and Policy, IISc

Legal name

Centre for Society and Policy, Indian Institute of Science

Website

https://csp.iisc.ac.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Policy research services
• Science policy analysis
• Scientometrics research
• Biosecurity governance
• AI policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Bengaluru

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Funded by Government of India through Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA). DST-CPR was established with government funding to study policies for increasing research impact of Indian institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Centre for Society and Policy (CSP) is an interdisciplinary policy research centre that conducts rigorous research and provides evidence-based policy inputs at the intersection of science, technology, innovation, and public policy. It operates several designated research programs — including the DST–Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR), the Policy Analytics and Insights Unit (PAIU), the Bio-Responsibility Initiative, and an AI Policy Research Project — and disseminates outputs through publications, webinars, and lecture series aimed at government, academic, and international audiences.

Product overview

The Centre for Society and Policy (CSP) at IISc is an interdisciplinary policy research centre, not a software product company. Its portfolio consists of research programs and centres — including the DST-Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR), the Policy Analytics and Insights Unit (PAIU), the Bio-Responsibility Initiative, and an AI Policy Research Project — along with public engagement series such as the Bio-Responsibility Policy Lecture Series and Distinguished Webinar Series. All offerings are research, training, and policy advisory services rather than software products, and no commercial product, API, or integration platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DST-Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPR): A centre studying policies and mechanisms to help increase research impact of Indian institutions and examining funding mechanisms.
• Policy Analytics and Insights Unit (PAIU)
• Bio-Responsibility Initiative

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CWTS, Leiden UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship involving distinguished webinar series on research information transition in scientometrics. Prof. Ludo Waltman, Scientific Director of CWTS, delivered a keynote on transition from proprietary to open research information systems, aligning with CSP's work on scientometrics and research assessment.
• Department of Science and Technology (DST) - Centre for Policy ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDST-CPR was established in August 2014 at IISc with goals of studying policies to increase research impact of Indian institutions and examining funding mechanisms for raising research impact. CSP serves as the host institution for this initiative.
• Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA), Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPSA established the Policy Analytics and Insights Unit (PAIU) at IISc in January 2023 to serve as a data-driven policy interface strengthening analytical efforts for evidence-based inputs to national and international STI initiatives. CSP hosts this unit.
• Bio-Responsibility InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy research and training initiative addressing emerging biological risks in India's life sciences landscape. Integrates interdisciplinary research, training, and policy engagement to strengthen biosafety, biosecurity, and responsible innovation.
• United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSP researchers have served as consultants providing science and technology advice to diplomats and international civil servants. Dr. Suryesh Kumar Namdeo previously served as S&T consultant for the Biological Weapons Convention at UNODA in Geneva.
• International Science Council (ISC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSP Visiting Scholar Moumita Koley currently serves as consultant with ISC for 'The Future of Scientific Publishing' project, contributing to open science policy research.
• Asia Centre for Health Security, National University of SingaporeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Suryesh Kumar Namdeo is a former Fellow of the Asia Centre for Health Security at NUS, contributing to global health security and biosecurity policy research.
• US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Suryesh Kumar Namdeo serves as co-chair of the expert committee for the multinational project 'Biological Threats in the Age of Bioeconomy', examining evolving biosecurity challenges.
• International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organisation focused on addressing biological threats; Dr. Namdeo serves on the advisory board, contributing to global biosecurity governance.
• Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) - AIxBio Global ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder initiative developing guardrails for emerging threats at the interface of AI and biotechnology; Dr. Namdeo is a member.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Policy Research (India): One of India's oldest public-policy think tanks based in Delhi, conducting policy research on governance, economic, and technology issues. It is a direct peer in the Indian policy-research space, comparable in scope and target audience to CSP.
• Atlantic Council GeoTech Center: An international affairs think tank program focused on emerging-technology governance, AI policy, and biotechnology. Comparable to CSP's AI Policy and Bio-Responsibility work in scope and target audience (policymakers and international institutions).
• Carnegie India: Part of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie India is a policy research center focused on technology, AI, and emerging-technology governance in India. It is directly comparable to CSP as a domestic policy think tank operating at the intersection of science, technology, and international affairs, and is referenced in CSP's own team biographies as a prior employer.
• Asia Centre for Health Security, NUS: A research center at the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health focused on health security, biosecurity, and pandemic preparedness. Directly comparable to CSP's Bio-Responsibility Initiative and is an existing partner of CSP.
• Takshashila Institution: An Indian public-policy think tank focused on technology, strategic studies, and public policy with active work on AI policy, cybersecurity, and emerging technology governance. Directly comparable to CSP on technology-policy focus within the Indian context.
• Observer Research Foundation (India): One of India's largest independent policy think tanks, ORF runs extensive work on technology policy, science diplomacy, and emerging technologies from its India base. It is a directly comparable domestic peer addressing the same science-policy interface from a non-academic, think-tank perspective.
• International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS): An international organization focused on addressing biological threats through biosecurity governance. Directly comparable to CSP's Bio-Responsibility Initiative and is already an advisory-board partner of CSP.
• Stimson Center (Science and Technology Program): US-based think tank with a science-and-technology program covering AI governance, biosecurity, and emerging-technology policy. Comparable to CSP as a policy-research outfit working on biosecurity and AI governance from an international, multi-stakeholder perspective.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution (Center for Technology Innovation): A major US-based policy research institution with an active center covering technology policy, AI, and innovation governance. Comparable to CSP in policy-research mandate and output style, though operating at much larger scale and broader scope.
• RAND Corporation (Science, Technology, and Public Policy): A large US-based policy research institution with substantive work on science, technology, and innovation policy, including emerging-technology governance. Comparable to CSP in research methods and policy-advisory role, though broader in scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-society-and-policy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Society and Policy, IISc