INSTITUTE OF CHINESE STUDIES

What INSTITUTE OF CHINESE STUDIES does

The Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) is an independent, non-profit research institute headquartered in New Delhi, India, dedicated to interdisciplinary studies of contemporary China and East Asia. It operates as a platform-and-portfolio organization combining scholarly research, publications, convening, and Track II diplomatic engagement. Its core outputs include the peer-reviewed journal China Report (published by Sage), ICS Analysis, Occasional Papers, Working Papers, Monographs, Translations, and Research Blogs, supported by a specialized library collection of approximately 6,000 accessioned books and 35+ journals.

ICS serves academic researchers, university faculty, university libraries, policy makers, and think tank analysts interested in India-China relations and East Asian affairs. Its programmes span Border Studies, the Chinese Economy Research Programme, India-China Comparative Studies, East Asia Studies, China in the World, and India-China Perceptions and Engagements. The institute convenes the annual All India Conference of China Studies (AICCS, since 2006; 18th edition held at IIM Indore in October 2025), the bi-annual All India Conference of East Asian Studies (AICEAS, since 2022), the Conference on Domestic Governance in China, and a weekly Wednesday Seminar series. Supporting infrastructure includes the ICS-HYI Multi-Year Doctoral Fellowship with the Harvard-Yenching Institute, the Mira Sinha Bhattacharjea and GP Deshpande awards for young scholars, the Early Bird Internship Programme, and the ICS-CSMCH Public Health Research Portal and India-China Consortium on Elderly Care.

ICS generates no commercial revenue in the traditional sense; its operating model relies on institutional grants, FCRA-registered foreign donations, fellowship co-funding (e.g., with Harvard-Yenching Institute), journal subscriptions through Sage, and member-library access via DELNET. Track II diplomatic engagement is conducted through the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Forum for Regional Cooperation (since 1999), the Russia-India-China Trilateral, and the Boao Forum for Asia. Governance comprises an Advisory Board, Governing Council, and Fellows Council, with honorary and emeritus fellows drawn from former ambassadors to China, JNU and IIM Indore faculty, and recipients of India's Padma Bhushan and the China-India Friendship Award.

Name

INSTITUTE OF CHINESE STUDIES

Legal name

Institute of Chinese Studies

Website

https://icsin.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) is an independent non-profit research institute based in New Delhi that conducts interdisciplinary research on contemporary China and East Asia, serving academic scholars, university libraries, policy makers, and think tanks through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, fellowships, and Track II diplomatic engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Think Tank Services on China and East Asia

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), International Affairs (928120)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities (EDAHABAD)

Keywords

• China studies research
• East Asian studies
• Academic publications
• Scholarly conferences
• Policy research

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute of Chinese Studies is an independent, non-profit research institute that produces scholarly publications (peer-reviewed journal China Report, ICS Analysis, Occasional Papers, Working Papers, Monographs and Translations) and runs academic events (Wednesday Seminars, annual All India Conference of China Studies, All India Conference of East Asian Studies, Conference on Domestic Governance in China, India Forum on China and Special Lectures), supported by fellowship and award programmes, research programmes on border studies, the Chinese economy and India-China comparative studies, and a specialized library collection.

Product overview

The Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) is a premier research institute that operates as a platform-plus-portfolio organization, offering a comprehensive suite of academic products and services focused on Chinese and East Asian Studies. The core offerings include peer-reviewed publications (China Report Journal, ICS Analysis, ICS Occasional Papers, ICS Working Papers, ICS Monographs, and Translations), regular seminar programs (Wednesday Seminars, Special Lectures including Giri Deshingkar Memorial Lecture and Gargi & VP Dutt Memorial Lecture), annual conferences (AICCS - All India Conference of China Studies since 2006, AICEAS - All India Conference of East Asian Studies since 2022), and dedicated conferences on domestic governance in China. Supporting these are fellowship programs (ICS-HYI Multi-Year Doctoral Fellowship), awards (Mira Sinha Bhattacharjea Award, GP Deshpande Award, Govind Purushottam Deshpande Award), internship programs (ICS Early Bird Internship Programme), research programs (Border Studies, Chinese Economy, India-China Comparative Studies), the BCIM Forum for sub-regional cooperation, a specialized library collection of approximately 6,000 books and 35+ journals, a media library with recorded seminars on YouTube and SoundCloud, research blogs, and monthly newsletters. ICS serves as India's primary hub for advancing scholarship and policy discourse on China, East Asia, and regional relations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• China Report Journal Peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal published by ICS covering contemporary Chinese politics, economics, foreign policy, society, culture and international relations, distributed via Sage Journals.
• ICS Analysis Shorter research and policy analysis publications addressing contemporary China-related topics and their implications for India, targeted at scholars, policy analysts and informed lay readers.
• ICS Occasional Papers Long-form research publications resulting from detailed, thoroughly documented research projects on China and East Asia, released on an ad hoc basis.
• ICS Working Papers Academic papers and research outputs authored by scholars working on various aspects of Chinese studies, circulated for peer feedback and wider scholarly dissemination.
• ICS Monographs Long-term research project outputs representing comprehensive scholarly work on specific themes and issues related to China studies, published as standalone books.
• ICS Translations English translations of Chinese-language articles, essays and publications on contemporary Chinese affairs, curated for non-Chinese-reading scholars and policy audiences.
• Wednesday Seminars Weekly online seminar series featuring experts and scholars presenting research on Chinese politics, economy, society, culture and international relations, delivered via Zoom and open to the academic community.
• All India Conference of China Studies (AICCS) Annual flagship conference convening scholars, researchers and policymakers to present and discuss research on various aspects of China Studies in India, rotating across partner academic institutions.
• All India Conference of East Asian Studies (AICEAS) Recurring conference focusing on East Asian Studies with emphasis on Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, hosted in partnership with academic institutions.
• ICS-HYI Multi-Year Doctoral Fellowship in China Studies Fellowship programme partnering ICS with the Harvard-Yenching Institute to provide doctoral candidates with financial support and research mentorship in China Studies.
• Mira Sinha Bhattacharjea Award Award for the best paper presented by a young scholar under 40 years at the All India Conference of China Studies.
• Govind Purushottam Deshpande Award Prize of Rs. 25,000 awarded to the best overall paper presented by a young and emerging scholar at the All India Conference of East Asian Studies.
• ICS Early Bird Internship Programme Internship programme providing research experience and training in China Studies for students and early-career scholars.
• Special Lectures Series (including Giri Deshingkar Memorial Lecture and Gargi & VP Dutt Memorial Lecture) Distinguished lecture series including the Giri Deshingkar Memorial Lecture, Gargi & VP Dutt Memorial Lecture and other named lectures featuring prominent experts on China and East Asia.
• Conference on Domestic Governance in China Dedicated conference exploring evolving state-society relations, governance policies and institutional reforms in China's domestic polity.
• India Forum on China Forum bringing together scholars and practitioners to discuss India-China relations and engagements, supporting policy-relevant dialogue on bilateral issues.
• ICS Library Collection Specialized library with approximately 6,000 accessioned books, 20+ subscribed journals, 15 exchange journals and personal collections of noted scholars, focused on contemporary China and East Asia, with DELNET-based inter-library loan access.
• Media Library Digital archive of recorded seminars and conferences made available via the ICS YouTube channel and SoundCloud account, supporting on-demand access to institute programming.
• Border Studies Programme Research programme focusing on border studies and territorial issues related to China, integrating historical, strategic and policy dimensions.
• Chinese Economy Research Programme Dedicated research stream examining China's economic development, trade and economic policies, producing analyses across ICS publication channels.
• India-China Comparative Studies Comparative analysis programme examining parallels and differences between India and China across political, economic, social and cultural domains.
• BCIM Forum (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar) Track II dialogue forum promoting sub-regional cooperation and economic development from southwest China to eastern India, hosted by ICS in association with partners from Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published China Report journal with multiple volumes annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Forum for Regional CooperationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999ICS is closely associated with the BCIM Forum for Regional Cooperation, a Track II dialogue focusing on development issues in the sub-region stretching from Northeast India to Southwest China. The Institute participates in the Joint Study Group for the BCIM Economic Corridor. The Forum, originally known as the 'Kunming Initiative', was founded in 1999 with the objective of promoting trade and economic development.
• DELNET (Developing Library Network)minorOthersICS Library is a member of DELNET, which has more than one million records of books available in machine-readable form. DELNET provides online information retrieval and inter-library loan services to ICS members.
• Shiv Nadar UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS collaborated with Shiv Nadar University's Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies and Department of International Relations & Governance Studies to host the 2nd Conference on Domestic Governance in China in August 2025. Shiv Nadar University also collaborated on the 1st All India Conference of East Asian Studies in 2022.
• Christ UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS partnered with Christ University's Centre for East Asian Studies to host the 2nd All India Conference of East Asian Studies in April 2024.
• Indian Institute of Management IndorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS collaborated with IIM Indore to host the 18th All India Conference of China Studies (AICCS) from October 24-26, 2025, at the IIM Indore campus.
• Harvard-Yenching Institute (HYI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS partners with the Harvard-Yenching Institute to offer the ICS-HYI Multi Year Doctoral Fellowship in China Studies, supporting doctoral research in China-related fields.
• Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS has strong institutional ties with JNU's School of International Studies, particularly for the East Asian Studies programme. The 3rd All India Conference of East Asian Studies convener Prof. Srabani Roy Choudhury is a Professor at JNU's Japanese Division. Several ICS fellows and honorary directors have JNU affiliations.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• China Institute of International Studies (CIIS): China's premier foreign affairs think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Directly comparable to ICS as a state-adjacent counterpart institute; ICS has hosted CIIS delegations and engages with CIIS as a bilateral peer for Track II dialogue on India-China relations.
• Centre for Policy Research (CPR): New Delhi-based policy think tank with research on international relations, security, and political economy. Comparable to ICS as an independent Indian policy research institute engaging on geopolitical issues including China, with a similar academic-practitioner audience and conference-based convening model.
• Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations: Mumbai-based foreign policy think tank focused on India's international relations and economic engagement. Directly comparable to ICS as a non-university Indian research institute producing publications, conferences, and policy analysis on India's global relationships including China.
• Observer Research Foundation (ORF): One of India's largest and most prominent think tanks, with dedicated programmes on China, foreign policy, and international relations. Directly comparable to ICS as an India-based policy research organisation covering India-China relations and Indo-Pacific affairs, though ORF operates at substantially larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society Policy Institute: US-based policy institute within Asia Society focused on Indo-Pacific policy, US-China relations, and Asian economic governance. Comparable to ICS in its policy analysis on China and India's regional role, with a broader global remit and larger institutional footprint.
• Brookings Institution: US-based policy research organisation with the John L. Thornton China Center and India-focused programmes. Overlaps with ICS on China political economy, India-China relations, and Indo-Pacific research, serving a global audience of scholars and policymakers.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major global think tank with dedicated Carnegie China programme and Carnegie India centre. Comparable to ICS in its focus on China scholarship, US-China-India triangle, and policy-oriented publishing, though operating at vastly greater scale and broader geographic remit.

Regional players

• Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore: NUS-affiliated research institute on South Asian affairs based in Singapore. Comparable to ICS as a peer foreign institute analysing Indian strategic interests, with overlapping coverage of India-China dynamics and serving similar policy and academic audiences.
• ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute: Singapore-based regional research institute covering Southeast Asia, ASEAN, and East Asia. Comparable to ICS as a standalone Asia-focused research institute producing peer-reviewed journals, regional surveys, and policy briefs on geopolitical dynamics including China-India relations in the broader Asian context.

Others

• Sigur Center for Asian Studies, George Washington University:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ics_delhi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ICSWEB
• Facebookfacebook.com/icsin.delhi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/icsdelhi
• Instagraminstagram.com/icsdelhi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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