Life After DPIR - Mr Sundeep Waslekar
Alumni 1983,
Summary
I read PPE at St. John’s from 1981 to 1983, with a focus on papers most relevant to international affairs. In the last twenty years, I have established an international think-tank in Mumbai, worked with or on 50 countries from four continents, negotiated with terrorists in their dens, and authored a best seller book in Marathi (my native language) on good governance, besides over 30 research reports and books in English.
Soon after my return to India in 1983, I worked with a think-tank in New Delhi. Later on I established an NGO working on peace and conflict resolution in South Asia. In 2002, I decided to expand the scope of my work across the world and co-founded with two friends, Strategic Foresight Group based in Mumbai. We have advised Governments and national institutions in 50 countries from four continents. Our reports have been discussed in the United Nations, World Bank, World Economic Forum (Davos), UK Houses of Commons and Lords, Indian Parliament, European Parliament, and quoted in over 2000 newspapers and Internet sources from 75-80 countries.
I enjoy crafting new policy concepts. One of the most exciting ideas I developed was to measure cost of conflict on almost 100 different parameters. My calculation of cost of conflict in the Middle East has attracted worldwide attention. Since 2009, I have conceived the Blue Peace framework to transform water from a source of crisis to an instrument of cooperation and peace. I was also a pioneer in developing scenario planning and foresight methodologies for countries, while these techniques had been used by business companies for a long time.
The most exciting part of my work is interaction with several different kinds of leaders. I have had intimate discussions with several Heads of Governments and a few experiences of negotiating with terrorists. On one occasion, I was lucky to come out alive.
I came out with my first book in 1991, The New World Order, which was an anthology of essays by leaders from five continents on how the post Cold War world would look like. Later on I published two books on governance – South Asian Drama and Dharma Rajya: Path-breaking Reforms for India’s Governance. Since Strategic Foresight Group was established, I have authored over 30 research reports.
While most of my work is international, involving constant travel, a book I wrote in Marathi (my native language) has taken me to small towns and villages of India. With 14 editions and translations in other Indian languages in three years, and thousands of fans, the book has emerged as the top bestseller of the decade in Marathi language.
In 2011, I was conferred D. Litt. (Honoris Causa) of Symbiosis International University by the President of India. What next? I have just completed writing a novel on existential crisis of the world in 2021 and of course, Oxford, is one of the locales.
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