The Dilli Dialogue Policies for a Future-Ready India
Background Note
India stands at a decisive moment in its development trajectory. As the economy expands, urbanises, and integrates more deeply with global markets, the demands placed on public institutions and policy frameworks are growing in scale, complexity, and urgency. Decisions taken today on regulation, employment, public finance, health systems, climate resilience and urban development will shape the country’s economic resilience and social outcomes for decades to come. These challenges cannot be addressed through isolated interventions or short-term fixes. They require carefully designed, evidence-based policies informed by high-quality research and sustained engagement among policymakers, academic institutions, and practitioners working on the front lines of implementation. Equally important is the creation of credible platforms where such engagement can take place in a structured, rigorous, and non-partisan manner.
While India hosts several conferences and policy forums, most are either sector-specific, closed-door gatherings, or advocacy-oriented platforms. There is a relative absence of a national, research-led conference that integrates multiple policy domains, systematically engages policymakers and scholars, and meaningfully includes students and early-career policy professionals.
The Dilli Dialogue proposes to address this gap by instituting a national Public Policy Conference - a flagship annual conference focused on applied policy research, reform-oriented dialogue, and youth participation in public policy
Date
11 October 2026
12 October 2026
Time
Day 1, 09:30 AM Onwards
Day 2, 09:00 AM Onwards
Venue
Day 1 – ISPP
Day 2 – C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, IIC
Objectives of the Conference
Through the conference, we seek to achieve the following objectives:
1. Create a National Platform for Policy Research Dialogue
To establish a credible and recurring forum where policymakers, researchers, think tanks, and
practitioners engage on pressing public policy challenges using evidence and applied research.
2. Close the Policy-Research-Praxis Gap
To enable structured interactions between academic research and real-world policymaking,
ensuring that research insights inform governance and reform processes.
3. Mainstream Youth Engagement in Public Policy
To actively include students and early-career researchers in national policy conversations through
dedicated tracks and moderated interactions with senior policymakers.
4. Advance Thematic Policy Conversations Aligned with National Priorities.
To focus on critical policy areas that are central to India’s development trajectory and reform
agenda. Leveraging ISPP and CRF research centres on Universal Health Assurance (CUHA), Urban
Transition (ICUT), Climate Change and Energy Transition (CCET), and Economy and Trade (CET) as
thematic anchors.
Proposed Theme and Policy Tracks
The overarching theme for the conference shall be “Bridging the gap between Policy and Praxis”. Under this theme, the conference will address the following policy tracks:
1. Public Health and Universal Health Assurance
Health financing, insurance frameworks, service delivery, and strengthening public health systems.
2. Urban Transition and Mobility
Sustainable urbanisation, transport systems, infrastructure financing, and climate-resilient cities.
3. Economy and Trade
Macroeconomic policies, impact of digitalisation on industries, trade connectivity and
competitiveness, emerging global trends.
4. Climate Change and Sustainability
Climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, climate finance, energy transition, and the integration
of climate considerations into economic planning, urban development, and public policy
decision-making.
We wish to bring in the policy tracks through careful curation of expert panels and presentations from young policy professionals.
Policy Proposal Submission Template
(Causal Linkage) Why does the problem exist? Trace the root cause(s) and intermediate causes, and show how they combine to produce the effect. A simple causal chain is encouraged.
(SWOT) What has already been tried, and how well has it worked? Review relevant domestic or global schemes, pilots or models, assessing each for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
Rationale What are you recommending, and why? State the chosen solution – from the alternatives above, a hybrid, or a novel proposal – and justify it on feasibility, cost, impact and equity, etc. using the SWOT evidence.
(Instruments) &
Governance Mechanism How will this actually be implemented? Specify the instruments used (mandate, subsidy, tax, PPP, digital platform, etc.), the implementing institutions/tiers of government, and the roles and sequencing involved.
Evaluation How will you know if it is working? Define the output/outcome indicators, monitoring frequency and method, the body responsible, and triggers for course-correction.