Experts

SENIOR FELLOW

SANJAY GUPTA

Shri Sanjay Gupta has over two decades of senior-level experience in strategy advice and policy advocacy in the areas of green growth, climate resilience, blue economy, water governance, gender, and rural livelihoods across Asia, Europe and the USA. He has worked for the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Asian Development Bank, the United States House of Representatives, Malmö University, international NGOs, and the private sector. He has also been a member of the Track 2 dialogue on Indus River cooperation between India and Pakistan. The key outcomes have been several policy changes from multi-country to the national level, such as the new National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Policy in India, transboundary river cruises between Bangladesh and India, creation of a global initiative on environmental education, development of the first hydro-diplomacy curriculum in South Asia, multi-fold increase in the participation of women in livelihood programs in select states of India, incorporation of multi-stakeholder communication and inclusive governance approach in WASH across South Asia, and establishment of the bipartisan Caucus on India and Indian-Americans in the US Congress. Sanjay has a master’s degree in Communication for Development from Malmö University, Sweden; a Master of Science in Marine Environmental Sciences from the University at Stony Brook, New York, USA; and a B.Sc. (Honors) in Physics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, India.

P. V. RAMANA

P. V. Ramana is an expert on Left-Wing Extremism and the Maoist insurgency in India. His publications include India’s Maoists: Glimpses into Red Insurgency (2026), Understanding India’s Maoists: Select Documents (2014) and The Naxal Challenge: Causes, Linkages and Policy Options (2008).

He has undertaken commissioned projects for the Ministry of Home Affairs and served on a National Police Mission sub-group examining surrender and rehabilitation policies in Maoist-affected states. He lectures at police academies, Central Armed Police Forces and Army formations, and has delivered invited presentations at the Pentagon and leading international research institutions.

A frequent contributor to the media, he holds a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Since 2004, he has conducted field visits to Maoist-affected regions across India.

SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW

SUDESHNA MAITI

Sudeshna Maiti is a transformative leader with over 22 years of expertise in policy advocacy, strategic communication, capacity building, and program management. Her work has consistently driven impactful change across social, economic, and environmental sectors. Her core strengths lie in market-driven growth, where she develops inclusive strategies focused on innovation and sustainable economic development. She also brings deep experience in designing integrated responses to systemic challenges in education, climate change, gender equity, and water, strengthening resilience at both community and policy levels. As a committed climate champion, Sudeshna leads adaptation strategies to mitigate the evolving risks of a changing climate. With a sharp understanding of narrative and influence, she crafts compelling messaging that informs policy, mobilizes stakeholders, and drives collective action. Passionate about building just and resilient systems, Sudeshna leverages collaboration and innovation as key instruments for change.

RESEARCH FELLOWS

DR MOHMAD WASEEM MALLA

Dr. Mohmad Waseem Malla is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies (CPS), New Delhi, where he also serves as Assistant Editor of its quarterly peer-reviewed publication, Journal of Peace Studies (JPS). He holds a PhD in International Studies, with a specialization in Media and West Asian (Middle Eastern) Studies, from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. His doctoral research examines the intersections of media and foreign policy, offering a media-centric perspective on Saudi-Iranian relations within the broader framework of political and global communication.

Dr. Malla’s research interests include political communication in Middle Eastern and South Asian contexts, geopolitics, media-state relations, and the evolving dynamics of populism and digital authoritarianism in South Asia. His academic work has appeared in journals such as Middle East Policy, Journal of Media and Communication Studies, and Springer publications, while his commentaries have been featured on platforms like East Asia Forum, Asia Times, The Indian Express, and the Middle East Policy Council. Moreover, he is the founder of Middle East Outlook (MEO), an online platform that aims to provide research-driven analysis of events in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.

At CPS, Dr. Malla monitors geopolitical developments in the Middle East and South Asia, with a particular focus on Bangladesh, Pakistan and the strategic implications of China’s regional rise. He also explores themes related to extremism and peace discourses in digital spaces.

DR NAZIR AHMAD MIR

Dr Nazir Ahmad Mir is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies (CPS), New Delhi. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Hong Kong Research Center for Asian Studies (RCAS). Dr Mir holds a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding and wrote his thesis on National Identity Formation in India. He studies international politics because it is worth scratching and provoking a "not-so-common" human common sense. His areas of research include nationalism(s) & international conflicts, ethnic conflicts & collective identity formation, discourse & power in orders, nuclear politics, politics & conflicts in South Asia, and international relations theory. His articles have appeared in reputable academic journals such as Politics and Society, Global Change, Peace and Security, Strategic Analysis, and the Journal of Defence Studies. Aiming to disseminate critical analysis to a wider readership, Nazir frequently shares his insights in popular dailies and has written for Frontline, Jacobin, Firstpost, The India Forum, MPIDSA, Al Jazeera, The Wire, and the South China Morning Post & others.

DR ZAINAB AKHTER

Dr Zainab Akhter is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies. She holds a PhD in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her research interests include soft power in international relations, cultural diplomacy, India-Pakistan relations, CBMs, people-to-people diplomacy, and Gilgit Baltistan. Previously, she worked as a Research analyst with the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and as a research officer with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS). She was awarded the Legislative Fellowship by the US State Department in 2017 and was attached to the Hudson Institute for the period of the Fellowship. She is the Joint Secretary with the Sustainable Development Forum of Ladakh.

DR MUNEEB YOUSUF

Dr Muneeb Yousuf is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies (CPS), New Delhi. He holds a PhD in International Studies from the Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. His research interests include religio-political developments in Pakistan, Indian foreign policy, small-state behaviour, Kashmir studies, and geopolitics in South Asia.

DR MOHD. USMAN BHATTI

DR MOHD. USMAN BHATTI is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi. He received his PhD from the Department of Political Science at the University of Hyderabad in 2021. Dr Usman’s research interests include international relations and security studies, quantitative conflict studies, South Asia’s Security, and India’s foreign policy. Specifically, he is interested in the dynamics of security in South Asia and the strategies of small states in international politics.

Dr Afroz Khan

Dr Afroz Khan is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies. He holds an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, with a specialisation in West Asian/Middle Eastern Studies. He has also studied Turkish language at Dumlupinar University, Türkiye, and Hebrew language at the University of Haifa, Israel. Previously, he worked as a Researcher at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi and at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. He also worked as a Visiting Faculty at Amity Law College, Amity University, Noida.

ASSOCIATE RESEARCH FELLOWS

DR IMRAN KHURSHID

Dr. Imran Khurshid is an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies (CPS), New Delhi. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kashmir, with a specialization in Indo-Pacific studies and South Asian security. His research primarily explores India–US strategic relations and the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the region. Dr. Khurshid has published his work in several reputed academic journals, contributing to scholarly discourse on regional security and international strategy.