Raisina Platforms & Ideas Forum

Samir Saran is the President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India’s premier think tank, headquartered in New Delhi with affiliates in North America and the Middle East. His research focuses on issues of global governance, climate and energy policy, technology policy, and India’s foreign policy.

Samir completed his doctoral studies at the Global Sustainability Institute, UK. He holds a Masters degree 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 ORF’s President and member of the Foundation’s Board, he provides strategic direction and leadership to the foundation’s multiple centres on fundraising, research projects, platform design and outreach initiatives including stakeholder engagement. He also serves as the Founder and President of RPIF, the entity responsible for administering the Raisina Dialogue and its associated events.

He curates the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual flagship platform on geopolitics and geo-economics, and is the founder of CyFy, India’s annual conference on cybersecurity and internet governance. He spearheads the foundation’s efforts to foster new international partnerships and incubate young leaders networks and youth led conversations globally.
Samir is a member of the Global Risks Advisory Board and Chair of the Global Future Council on Geopolitics of the World Economic Forum. He has served as a Commissioner of The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. He is a member of the Board of Directors at ORF America and President at ORF Middle East. He is also a part of Board of Governors of East West Centre in the United States.

Samir has authored five books, edited important journals and publications and written several academic papers and book chapters. He is featured regularly in Indian and international print and broadcast media. His latest publications include GeoTechnoGraphy: Mapping Power and Identity in the Digital Age with Anirban Sarma, The New World Disorder and The Indian Imperative with Shashi Tharoor and Pax Sinica: Implications Dawn with Akhil Deo.

Email- samir.saran@orfonline.org

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Shubh Soni is a strategic partnerships leader who works at the intersection of diplomacy, public policy, and global convening. As Head of Partnerships and Administration, he leads the Foundation’s global engagement strategy—designing and delivering high-impact collaborations across governments, multilateral institutions, foundations, corporations, and civil society.

With over a decade of experience in building enduring partnerships, Shubh’s work focuses on aligning ORF’s intellectual assets with the interests of its global partners—co-creating policy forums, joint research, and dialogue platforms that respond to emerging international challenges.

Email – shubh.soni@orfonline.org

Pulkit Mohan is the Head of Forums at the Observer Research Foundation, where she leads the ideation, curation, and execution of the institution’s flagship conferences and high-level dialogues. In this capacity, she is responsible for shaping platforms that bring together global leaders, policymakers, academics, and practitioners to deliberate on pressing regional and international challenges. Her role spans the conceptual design of these initiatives as well as the strategic alignment of ORF’s convenings with evolving geopolitical, economic, and technological developments. Pulkit holds an MSc in International Relations Theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi.

Email – pulkit.mohan@orfonline.org