The International Institute of Migration and Development

What The International Institute of Migration and Development does

The International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD) is a nonprofit research institute headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, registered under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955. The institute, founded in 2019, conducts multi-disciplinary research on migration, ageing, climate change, gender, livelihoods, and social protection, serving national and state government policymakers, UN agencies (notably UNFPA), the European Union, and the academic research community. Its work is anchored by longitudinal datasets and surveys including the Kerala Migration Survey (KMS), conducted every five years since 1998 with the 2023 round covering 20,000 households across 500 localities in all 14 districts of Kerala, and the Odisha Migration Study (OMS) covering 15,000 households in 30 districts.

IIMAD's core products and outputs include the IIMAD-PFI Population Projections Dashboard, an interactive demographic visualisation tool built jointly with the Population Foundation of India projecting India's population through 2051 (with Bayesian projections extending to 2111), a Data Bank repository, an academic Publications programme, the Research Capacity Building Internship Programme (RCBI), and an annual event series (6th Annual International Migration Conference 2026, Annual Conference on Migration and Development, Annual Conference on Ageing with IIITD). A bench of more than 20 visiting professors from global universities (Harvard, Carleton, Northumbria, Erasmus, Monash, Sussex, Greenwich, Brunei, Ritsumeikan, Qatar, Virginia Commonwealth, CUNY, Open University, Wilfrid Laurier, and others) supports the research programme.

Commercially, IIMAD operates as a grant-funded research institute. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; it is derived from research grants and project funding from international organisations such as UNFPA and the European Union (e.g., Link4Skills, Women on the Move, Climate Resilience of Migrant and Vulnerable Households), Canadian and Indian collaborators including SSHRC (DEMIKNOW coalition 2021-2024) and the Kerala State Planning Board. The institute does not sell subscriptions and does not publish pricing. Its go-to-market is event-driven and ecosystem-mediated, anchored on annual international conferences, working papers and journals, interactive data dashboards, and internship programmes that function as both capacity building and pipeline for future research collaborators.

Name

The International Institute of Migration and Development

Legal name

The International Institute of Migration and Development

Website

https://iimad.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD) is a Kerala-based nonprofit research institute that conducts longitudinal studies on migration, ageing, climate, gender, and social protection, serving Indian policymakers, the EU, UNFPA, and the global academic community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Migration and Development Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Migration, Refugees & Forced Displacement Assistance (BPADABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Anti-Trafficking, Smuggling Prevention & Safe Migration Services (BPADAHAK)

Keywords

• Migration research
• Demographic projections
• Policy research services
• Population studies
• Development research

Headquarters

HQ city

Thiruvananthapuram

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: IIMAD operates as a grant-funded research institute receiving support from international organizations, government bodies, and academic institutions to conduct research on migration, development, and demographic studies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD) is a nonprofit research institute based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, that conducts empirical and policy-oriented research on migration, demography, ageing, climate change, gender, livelihoods, and social protection. It offers research publications, demographic data dashboards, periodic surveys (including the Kerala Migration Survey), internships, and conferences for governments, international organizations, and academic researchers.

Product overview

IIMAD operates as a research institute focused on migration and development studies rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of research products and services including the IIMAD-PFI Population Projections Dashboard (interactive data visualization tool for demographic projections), a comprehensive Data Bank, academic Publications, the Kerala Migration Survey (large-scale longitudinal survey conducted every five years), the Research Capacity Building Internship Programme (RCBI), and various research projects spanning migration vulnerabilities, ageing, climate resilience, and labour mobility. These offerings form an integrated research ecosystem combining data collection, analysis tools, training programs, and dissemination channels for evidence-based policy work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IIMAD-PFI Population Projections Dashboard

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term population projections for India and all states up to 2051 and 2111 using Bayesian demographic methods

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UNFPA partners with IIMAD on research projects including understanding vulnerabilities of interstate migrant populations in Southern India and demographic research initiatives.
• European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU funds multiple IIMAD projects including Link4Skills (Enhancing Labour Mobility in the EU), Climate Resilience of Migrant & Vulnerable Households, and Women on the Move network.
• Population Foundation of India (PFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership producing population projections for India and its states up to 2051, with interactive data dashboard.
• MiFOOD Network (Hungry Cities Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network studying international and internal migrants facing precarious employment and food insecurity across cities of the Global South.
• Kerala State Planning BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partnership for development research and planning initiatives in Kerala.
• SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding DEMIKNOW - International Coalition of Research Centres in Migration, a coalition of four migration research centres in India, China, Australia and Canada (2021–2024).
• IOM India (International Organization for Migration)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStakeholder consultations on safe, orderly and regular migration in partnership with Norka Roots, focusing on emerging evidence and policy directions.
• Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIITD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Annual Conference on Ageing, exploring themes of digital divide, lived experiences of ageing, and governance in algorithmic societies.
• Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), BangaloremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for 6th Annual International Migration Conference 2026.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund): UN agency focused on population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender. UNFPA is both a funder/partner of IIMAD and an institution that produces overlapping demographic research; comparable as a global player in population/demographic analysis.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM): Global intergovernmental organization leading international migration policy and programming. IOM India is an active IIMAD partner; both operate at the intersection of migration research, policy, and programming, though IOM is far larger and globally focused.
• GLOBAL MIGRATION DATA ANALYSIS CENTRE (GMDAC): IOM-hosted data centre producing global migration statistics and analysis. Comparable to IIMAD as a centralized source of curated migration data and demographic insights for policymakers, though with global rather than India-focused coverage.

Direct peers

• Institute of Economic Growth (IEG): Delhi-based research institute conducting social science research including migration, labour, and development studies. Both IIMAD and IEG produce evidence-based research on Indian labour markets, internal migration, and economic development for government and international sponsors.
• Population Foundation of India (PFI): New Delhi-based non-profit focused on population, gender, and reproductive health research. PFI is IIMAD's core strategic partner on the Population Projections Dashboard and reports, with overlapping research agendas on demographic transitions and policy engagement in India.
• Centre for Development Studies (CDS) Trivandrum: Kerala-based social science research institute focused on development economics. Several IIMAD research fellows (Rohit, Lathika, Roshan, Sisira) previously worked at CDS, and both institutions operate in Thiruvananthapuram on overlapping themes of migration, Kerala economy, and social development.
• International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS): Premier Indian demographic and population research institution based in Mumbai. Both IIMAD founders (Rajan, Menon, Anjana) trained at IIPS, and IIMAD's research on migration, Kerala Migration Survey, and demographic projections directly extends IIPS's mandate—making it the closest Indian peer in population/migration research.

Emerging players

• Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS): Delhi-based social science research institute with research on migration, labour, and political sociology. Comparable to IIMAD in producing independent academic research on Indian social transformation and migration-related policy questions.
• Centre for Policy Research (CPR): Indian think tank conducting policy research across governance, economy, and development. While not focused exclusively on migration, CPR's policy-oriented research on urbanization, labour, and social policy overlaps with IIMAD's evidence-to-policy work.

Regional players

• Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC): Bangalore-based social science research institute. ISEC is hosting partner for IIMAD's 6th Annual International Migration Conference 2026, reflecting strong peer collaboration on migration and development research in South India.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iimad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iimad

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The International Institute of Migration and Development