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Policy Career Navigator
Public Policy India + STRIDE Policy Institute
1,200+ ways in · 100+ skills · 12 career spaces
Roles, fellowships, exams, internships, organisations. AI-exposure scored.
This Navigator is a knowledge product of Public Policy India, in partnership with STRIDE Policy Institute. It maps territory that does not exist anywhere else in one place, but it is a starting point for exploration, not a precision instrument. Salary figures, eligibility criteria, and programme details evolve frequently. Please verify specific data points against primary sources before making career decisions.
India's Policy & Social Impact Career Directory
Search across 500 roles spanning think tanks, government, consulting, civil society, corporate policy, multilaterals, philanthropy, legal policy, civic tech, academia, and political strategy. Filter by career space, seniority level, or sector vertical. All salary figures are approximate.
500 roles found
Research Intern
Think Tank
Support senior researchers with literature reviews, data collection, and citation management at CEEW, CPR, or ORF. Most internships run 3-6 months and often convert to full-time an...
EntryRs 5-15K/moAI:5/10
Research Analyst
Think Tank
Conduct primary and secondary research, clean datasets, run analysis in Stata or R, draft working paper sections. At CEEW (200+ staff), analysts publish within their first year. Br...
EntryRs 4-8 LPAAI:6/10
Programme Associate
Think Tank
Manage research programmes end-to-end: coordinate with funders, organise stakeholder consultations, manage timelines. At ORF, programme associates manage events with 200+ attendees...
Early-CareerRs 7-12 LPAAI:4/10
Data Analyst (Policy Research)
Think Tank
Build datasets from NSSO, NFHS, ASI. Create visualisations, run models, translate numbers into policy narratives. Growing demand as evidence-based policymaking gains traction. NIPF...
Early-CareerRs 7-16 LPAAI:7/10
Fellow / Senior Researcher
Think Tank
Lead research projects independently. Author papers cited in parliamentary debates. Present at government consultations and PMO briefings. At CPR (est. 1973), fellows shape nationa...
Mid-CareerRs 12-22 LPAAI:5/10
Senior Fellow / Director
Think Tank
Shape research agenda for entire practice area. Manage teams of 5-15. Represent institution in high-level government consultations and media. Fundraise from bilateral agencies. At ...
SeniorRs 22-40 LPAAI:3/10
Health Policy Researcher
Think Tank
Specialised research on health systems, disease surveillance, nutrition, or Ayushman Bharat. At PHFI, researchers work on projects covering TB elimination, NCDs, and pandemic prepa...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:6/10
Climate & Energy Researcher
Think Tank
Model energy transitions, track NDC progress, analyse carbon markets. India's Net Zero 2070 commitment created explosive demand. CEEW's 30+ member energy team publishes 50+ reports...
Early-CareerRs 8-16 LPAAI:6/10
Communications Manager (Think Tank)
Think Tank
Translate 80-page reports into op-eds, social media, briefs, and infographics. Manage media relationships, coordinate launches. At ORF (Rs 60+ crore budget), comms manages launches...
Mid-CareerRs 10-18 LPAAI:5/10
Quantitative Research Fellow
Think Tank
Design RCTs, quasi-experimental studies, large surveys. At J-PAL South Asia, fellows run field experiments costing Rs 1-5 crore, working with state governments. Requires advanced e...
Mid-CareerRs 14-25 LPAAI:5/10
Technology Policy Researcher
Think Tank
AI governance, data protection, platform regulation, DPI. At Vidhi's Digital Economy team, researchers draft model legislation that ministries adopt. The DPDP Act 2023 created a co...
Early-CareerRs 8-16 LPAAI:7/10
CEO / Director-General (Think Tank)
Think Tank
Lead entire institution. Strategy, Board relations, fundraise at scale (Rs 20-50+ crore budgets). Arunabha Ghosh built CEEW from zero to India's top think tank in a decade. Require...
LeadershipRs 40-80+ LPAAI:2/10
Nutrition & Food Policy Analyst
Think Tank
Analyse POSHAN Abhiyaan outcomes, ICDS delivery, food subsidy reform. India's stunting rate (35.5% per NFHS-5) keeps this vertical funded. IFPRI and Tata-Cornell are primary employ...
Early-CareerRs 7-13 LPAAI:5/10
Trade & Industrial Policy Researcher
Think Tank
Analyse tariff structures, FTA negotiations, PLI scheme outcomes, WTO disputes. India's bilateral trade deals (EFTA, UK, EU) expanded demand. ICRIER researchers brief Commerce Mini...
Mid-CareerRs 12-20 LPAAI:6/10
Head of Policy Engagement
Think Tank
Bridge research and government adoption. Manage relationships with Joint Secretaries and Ministers. Track which findings actually influenced policy outcomes. A relatively new role ...
SeniorRs 22-35 LPAAI:3/10
Digital Rights Researcher
Think Tank
Internet freedom, surveillance, content moderation, intermediary liability. At IFF, researchers file RTIs, analyse regulations, coordinate public campaigns. At SFLC.in, FOSS advoca...
Early-CareerRs 6-12 LPAAI:5/10
Gender & Social Inclusion Researcher
Think Tank
Analyse gender budgeting, time-use surveys, women's LFPR (37% per PLFS 2022-23, up from 23% in 2017-18). IWWAGE, CPR, and CBGA are key employers. Feminist research methodology and ...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:5/10
Urban Policy Researcher
Think Tank
Smart Cities evaluation, municipal finance, urban transport, housing. At IIHS (Bengaluru), researchers combine GIS with ethnography. CPR's SCI-FI programme tracks reforms across 4,...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:6/10
Defence & Security Analyst
Think Tank
Track military modernisation, border dynamics, defence procurement, strategic affairs. At MP-IDSA, analysts brief the NSC Secretariat. Requires OSINT skills and ability to produce ...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:5/10
Education Policy Analyst
Think Tank
NEP 2020 implementation, school governance, higher education reform, accreditation. At NIEPA, researchers evaluate UDISE+ data covering 14.9 lakh schools. Requires comfort with bot...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:6/10
Fiscal Policy Researcher
Think Tank
Union/state budgets, GST revenue trends, fiscal federalism, public debt sustainability. At NIPFP (est. 1956), researchers produce pre-budget analyses read by Finance Ministry. Requ...
Mid-CareerRs 14-24 LPAAI:6/10
Geospatial / GIS Analyst
Think Tank
Spatial data for policy: pollution mapping, urban sprawl, flood risk, crop burning. At CEEW, GIS analysts produce satellite-derived datasets informing Supreme Court action plans. S...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:7/10
Science & Technology Policy Analyst
Think Tank
R&D spending (0.64% GDP), patent filings, semiconductor policy, space commercialisation. India's semiconductor mission (Rs 76,000 crore) creating new demand. RIS and CSIR-NISTADS a...
Early-CareerRs 8-14 LPAAI:6/10
Agricultural Policy Researcher
Think Tank
MSP dynamics, crop insurance (PMFBY), agri-market reforms, input subsidies. India's 120+ million farming households and Rs 3+ lakh crore annual agri subsidies ensure permanent dema...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:5/10
Water Resources Researcher
Think Tank
Groundwater depletion, Jal Jeevan Mission evaluation, urban water governance. At ATREE, researchers combine ecology with governance analysis. India faces acute water stress affecti...
Mid-CareerRs 12-20 LPAAI:5/10
Migration & Urbanisation Researcher
Think Tank
Internal migration (450+ million), urbanisation patterns, labour mobility. e-Shram portal (300M+ registrations) created new data sources. IIHS and CMID are key employers in this gr...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:5/10
Political Economy Researcher
Think Tank
How political incentives shape economic policy: coalition dynamics, electoral cycle spending, state-level political economy. At CSDS-Lokniti, researchers run India's largest electi...
Mid-CareerRs 14-22 LPAAI:4/10
Foreign Policy Researcher
Think Tank
India's bilateral relationships, multilateral engagement, Indo-Pacific strategy. At Carnegie India, analyses are read by MEA officials. India's G20 Presidency and UNSC ambitions ex...
Early-CareerRs 7-14 LPAAI:5/10
Social Audit Researcher
Think Tank
Evaluate MGNREGA, PMAY, PDS delivery through social audit methodologies. At SSAAT Telangana, researchers manage India's most rigorous social audit system covering 50 lakh MGNREGA h...
Early-CareerRs 6-12 LPAAI:4/10
Senior Urban Planner / Practice Lead
Think Tank
Lead urban advisory with state governments and Smart City SPVs. At WRI India (250+ staff), senior planners manage multi-year programmes on electric mobility, TOD, and climate-resil...
SeniorRs 20-35 LPAAI:4/10
LAMP / Parliamentary Fellow
Government
Work with a randomly assigned MP for 10-11 months. Draft questions, research issues. ~40 selected from 10,000+ applicants. Alumni include Rhodes Scholars. The gold standard entry i...
EntryRs 23K/moAI:4/10
CM Fellow / Governance Associate
Government
Posted to district administration with state governments. CMGGA Haryana (Rs 90K/mo) across all 22 districts; Maharashtra CM Fellowship (Rs 61.5K/mo) with 60 fellows. Fastest route ...
EntryRs 30K-1.5L/moAI:4/10
Young Professional (NITI Aayog)
Government
Two-year contract at India's apex policy body. Support health, education, SDGs, infrastructure verticals. Secretary-level meetings within weeks. ~30 YPs at any time. Unmatched expo...
Early-CareerRs ~8.4 LPAAI:5/10
Government Consultant (Contract)
Government
Domain expert in ministries/state govts, often World Bank or UNDP funded. Ministry of Health alone has 200+ consultants. 11-month contracts (avoiding regularisation). The silent ba...
Mid-CareerRs 12-25 LPAAI:5/10
IAS / Senior Civil Servant
Government
Career civil servant via UPSC. DMs oversee virtually every scheme across 750+ districts, managing Rs 500-2000 crore budgets. 10 lakh+ compete for ~1,000 seats. Benefits add 30-50% ...
SeniorRs 15-30 LPA + perksAI:3/10
Joint/Additional Secretary
Government
Highest operational policymaking level. Draft Cabinet notes, negotiate internationally, manage 500+ staff departments. Most IAS reach this after 16-20 years. Lateral entry, where s...
LeadershipRs 30-50 LPA + perksAI:2/10
Technology Policy Officer (Govt)
Government
Digital governance, AI policy, DPDP implementation, cybersecurity within MeitY or state IT departments. Data Protection Board (2024) creating new positions. Karnataka and Telangana...
Early-CareerRs 8-18 LPAAI:6/10
Block Development Officer
Government
Oversee all development programmes in a block (50-100 villages). Manage MGNREGA, PMAY, PDS, ICDS. Where policy meets reality, where budget lines become roads, toilets, and ration c...
Early-CareerRs 8-12 LPAAI:3/10
District Collector / DC
Government
Head of district administration: revenue, law and order, elections, disaster response, scheme coordination. India's 750+ districts are mini-governments. Typically reached 8-12 year...
SeniorRs 18-30 LPA + perksAI:2/10
Policy Researcher (State Govt)
Government
Support Chief Secretary or PS offices with research, data analysis. States competing for investment and governance rankings now hire dedicated researchers. Samagra's model created ...
Early-CareerRs 6-12 LPAAI:5/10
NABARD Grade A Officer
Government
India's apex rural bank. Agricultural credit, rural infrastructure, cooperative development. Starting salary exceeds most development sector roles by 2-3x. DDM posting is one of th...
Early-CareerRs 16-18 LPAAI:4/10
NABARD Senior Manager / CGM
Government
Lead regional/thematic operations. Now hiring specialists in Remote Sensing & GIS, Data Science/AI, and E-Commerce. NABARD's modernisation push is transforming this traditionally c...
SeniorRs 30-50 LPAAI:3/10
RBI Grade B Officer
Government
India's central bank: monetary policy, banking regulation, payment systems, forex management. One of the highest-paying government roles accessible through competitive exam. Grade ...
Early-CareerRs 18-22 LPAAI:5/10
SEBI Officer Grade A
Government
Capital markets regulation: IPO approvals, mutual fund regulation, insider trading investigation. SEBI expanding with fintech, crypto, ESG mandates. One of the most intellectually ...
Early-CareerRs 16-18 LPAAI:6/10
Regulatory Body Officer
Government
Staff TRAI, CCI, SEBI, FSSAI, BIS, or Data Protection Board. Analyse market conduct, process applications, draft orders. Require domain-specialist staff beyond IAS generalists.
Mid-CareerRs 12-25 LPAAI:5/10
NIC Scientist
Government
Build India's government tech: e-office, PFMS, DigiLocker, CoWIN. NIC employs 619+ Scientists via GATE. From PMO dashboards to state land records. Invisible infrastructure of e-gov...
Early-CareerRs 10-15 LPAAI:7/10
NIC / C-DAC Senior Scientist
Government
Lead major e-governance projects. C-DAC works on AI/ML accelerators, RISC-V processors. UIDAI architects manage Aadhaar for 1.3+ billion identities. India's DPI ambition creating r...
SeniorRs 25-40 LPAAI:6/10
NDMA Consultant
Government
Draft disaster plans, coordinate drills, analyse vulnerability data. India's increasing climate disasters expanding this field. Senior Research Officers earn Rs 15-21 LPA across bi...
Early-CareerRs 9-15 LPAAI:5/10
Smart City Fellow / Consultant
Government
Work with Smart City SPVs on urban technology, citizen services, integrated command centres. India's 100 Smart Cities Mission created SPVs with independent budgets. Everything from...
EntryRs 30-50K/moAI:6/10
FSSAI Technical Officer
Government
Food safety regulation across 75+ lakh food businesses. Technical officers conduct inspections, analyse lab reports, support standard-setting from fortification mandates to labelli...
Early-CareerRs 8-14 LPAAI:5/10
Income Tax / IRS Officer
Government
Manage tax policy implementation, assessment, investigation. India's direct tax collection: now over Rs 20 lakh crore annually. 80,000 officers. Combines fiscal policy understandin...
Early-CareerRs 10-16 LPAAI:4/10
Customs / GST Officer
Government
Indirect tax collection, trade facilitation, smuggling prevention. 37 GST zones. Customs officers at JNPT, Chennai, Mundra process Rs 30+ lakh crore trade annually. Law enforcement...
Early-CareerRs 10-16 LPAAI:4/10
State PCS Officer
Government
State civil servants: Deputy Collectors, BDOs, Tehsildars, DSPs. Collectively hire 5,000+ officers annually. Significant district-level authority and direct citizen impact. Often m...
EntryRs 6-10 LPAAI:3/10
Social Welfare Officer
Government
Implement schemes for SC/ST, OBC, minorities, PwDs. Manage Rs 10,000+ crore scholarship disbursement, hostel management, protective legislation. Massive impact on India's most marg...
Early-CareerRs 8-12 LPAAI:3/10
Tribal Affairs Programme Officer
Government
Forest Rights Act, PESA, tribal sub-plan, Van Dhan Kendras. TRIFED manages MSP procurement for forest products. 10.4 crore tribal people face unique governance challenges. Underrec...
Early-CareerRs 8-14 LPAAI:3/10
Election Commission Staff
Government
World's largest democracy: 900+ million voters, 1 million+ polling stations. IT officers handle EPIC, EVMs, SVEEP. Tech modernisation creating new specialist positions. Extraordina...
Mid-CareerRs 15-25 LPAAI:4/10
NDDB Deputy Manager
Government
India's dairy apex body in Anand. Dairy technology, cooperative management, milk procurement policy. NDDB's org average salary: Rs 22 LPA. Now working on FPOs, organic certificatio...
Early-CareerRs 10-14 LPAAI:4/10
Municipal Commissioner Staff
Government
Work within 4,000+ ULBs on property tax, solid waste, water, urban planning. Mumbai's budget: Rs 40,000+ crore. Technical staff handle building approvals to sewage treatment operat...
Mid-CareerRs 12-22 LPAAI:4/10
Defence Research Scientist (DRDO)
Government
Policy-adjacent research at 50+ DRDO labs. Scientists via GATE work on programmes with direct strategic implications. DRDO budget: Rs 23,000+ crore. India's largest R&D organisatio...
Early-CareerRs 10-16 LPAAI:6/10
NCDC Assistant Director
Government
National Cooperative Development Corporation under Ministry of Cooperation (est. 2021). Support cooperative societies through financing, training, regulatory oversight. Expanding c...
Early-CareerRs 8-12 LPAAI:4/10
Showing 60 of 500. Use filters to narrow down.
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