Our Values

Independence

We do not allow funders, governments, or institutional pressures to direct our findings. India Institute’s credibility rests on our willingness to say inconvenient things without consequence to our position. We protect that independence as a first principle.

Rigour

Research quality is non-negotiable. We apply the most rigorous methods available to each research question – pre-registering randomised trials, subjecting reports to independent peer review, and following the evidence wherever it leads, including when it challenges our prior assumptions. We distinguish clearly between what the evidence demonstrates and what we argue on the basis of it.

Relevance

We work on problems that matter to real people in India today. Our research agenda is set by where rigorous evidence is most needed and most absent – not by what is fashionable or methodologically convenient.

Transparency

Our methods, data, and reasoning are open to scrutiny. We publish our protocols, share our datasets where possible, and account publicly for our work through an annual report. We do not hide inconvenient findings.

Equity

We believe that every individual – regardless of caste, gender, religion, or economic circumstance – deserves equal dignity, opportunity, and the protection of law. This belief shapes what we study and how we conduct ourselves as an institution.