Samir Saran

Samir Saran is the President of Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of Asia’s most influential think tanks. His research focuses on issues of global governance, climate change and energy policy, technology and new media, and India’s foreign policy.

Samir completed his doctoral studies at the Global Sustainability Institute, UK. He holds a Masters in media studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, and a Bachelors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, India.

As President, he provides strategic direction and leadership to ORF’s multiple centres on fundraising, research projects, platform design and outreach initiatives including stakeholder engagement.

He curates the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual flagship platform on geopolitics and geo-economics, and chairs CyFy, India’s annual conference on cybersecurity and internet governance. He spearheads the foundation’s efforts to foster new international partnerships and globalise its platforms.

Samir is a Commissioner of The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, a member of the Regional Action Group of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is a part of WEF’s Global Future Council on Geopolitics. He also sits on the Board of Microsoft’s Digital Peace Now initiative.

Samir has spoken at universities, institutions, investor and business forums around the globe on key trends and developments shaping the region.

He has authored four books, several academic papers, and is featured regularly in Indian and international print and broadcast media. He has recently co-authored two books on geopolitics: The New World Disorder And The Indian Imperative with Shashi Tharoor and Pax Sinica: Implications for the Indian Dawn with Akhil Deo.