Speaking at the launch of JII, its Director General, Dr. Sreeram Chaulia commented, “For a long time, India has been painted internationally in terms of its failures, inadequacies and disappointments. India has been problematised endlessly and critiqued by ideologically biased Indian and foreign intellectuals and journalists for not following the pathway that India is supposed to follow as per their elitist expectations and prescriptions.

Especially in certain corners in the West, India-bashing is a badge of honour and a synonym for ‘progressive’ outlooks. Downplaying India’s achievements and exaggerating its lacunae is a dogma in these academic and journalistic circles. JII is an independent venture to correct the imbalances caused by misguided presentations of India. It will provide the much-needed credible India narrative and India voice to sensitise the world about the extraordinary transformations underway in the country in different domains. Instead of just critiquing the critics and calling out the errors of the India-bashers, JII will bring to light alternative evidence to show how India is making steady progress in a range of fields and setting an example as a world leader in many domains.”

The issue-areas which will be covered under JII include India’s democracy, economy, society, culture, spirituality, science and technology, entrepreneurship, inclusiveness, rule-of-law, human rights, education, healthcare provision, environmental conservation, foreign policy etc. The bulk of the JII’s intellectual output will come from JGU’s existing faculty members who have outstanding publication and research credentials. They will be simultaneously accredited to JII as Fellows and Senior Fellows and will co-author and co-ideate alongside the foreign scholars-in-residence who will be selected to come to JGU under the aegis of a Global India Visiting Fellowship.