Samir Saran is a Senior Advisor at The Asia Group and the President of Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Samir works closely with The Asia Group to provide expert analysis and strategic advice across sectors – with a focus on geopolitics, technology, and economics. Samir also co-leads the strategic partnership between The Asia Group and ORF, which explores the emerging strategic, technological, and commercial issues impacting the U.S.-India relationship and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
As the President of ORF, one of Asia’s most influential think tanks, Samir provides strategic direction and leadership to ORF’s multiple centers on fundraising, research projects, platform design, and outreach initiatives.
He also curates the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual flagship platform on geopolitics and geo-economics, and chairs CyFy, India’s annual conference on cyber security and internet governance. Additionally, he spearheads ORF’s efforts to foster new international partnerships and globalize its platforms.
Samir is also a Commissioner of The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, member of the South Asia advisory board of the World Economic Forum, and a part of its Global Future Council on Cybersecurity. He is also the Director of the Centre for Peace and Security at the Sardar Patel Police University in Jodhpur, India.
Samir writes frequently on issues of global governance, climate change, energy policy, global development architecture, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, internet governance, and India’s foreign policy. He has authored four books, several academic papers, and is featured regularly in Indian and international print and broadcast media.
Samir previously led ORF’s outreach and business development as its Vice President. In this capacity, he was responsible for fostering government outreach, global partnerships, and developing ORF into a center for research excellence in policy.
Samir has also benefited from a rich and diverse experience in the Indian private sector. At India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries, he served in various capacities across their fibre and petrochemicals, power, telecom, retail and media verticals. He was also a member of the Government — Industry panel on Intellectual Property and Broadcasting Regulation. Samir has been actively engaged with regulators and policy makers since the early 1990s, closely studying India’s ambitious economic reform journey.
Samir completed his doctoral studies at the Global Sustainability Institute in the UK. He holds a Masters in Media Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Bachelors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology in India.