India’s Premier Institute for South Asian Studies and Dialogue
Located at the heart of India’s busy research atmosphere, the Sundar Singh Institute is India’s premier institute for South Asian studies—a center of research and prospective creativity.
Founded as the St. Bartholomew Institute, Allahabad, this consortium changed its name to this new identity in January 2024, to constitute a new era while acknowledging the original legacy.
Inspired by the Life of Sadhu Sundar Singh
Established by the Legacy of Sadhu Sundar Singh, the Institution is based on a Christian approach to social equity. It champions this legacy of an everlasting contribution toward great scholarship and far-reaching policy additions and subsequent resolutions of incremental developments over time to the area’s ever-changing challenges. The Sadhu Sundar Institute is India’s greatest venture in this discipline, surpassing even more established institutions (i.e., Ewing Christian College). Its varied, God-approved callings from elementary scholarship to theoretical acclaim have not only impacted scholars but have changed the landscape of South Asia regionally and internationally.
Who We Are
Enhancing Understanding, Inspiring Future Developments
The Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies is a nationally recognized research center in area studies with a critical evaluative perspective and devotion to the essence of scholarship. The Institute produces game-changing scholarship that influences policy with Indian policymakers and transnational organizations through efficient and effective engagement, leading to long-lasting improvements throughout the expansive South Asian region.
Leading Initiatives in Sustainable Resource Management in Rural South Asia
For India’s Ministry of Environment, the Institute designed a new sustainable resource management approach in Rural South Asia. It responds to issues related to water scarcity and soil erosion typical in arid countries and serves as a tool for the National Rural Sustainability Initiative—more effectively integrating climate change concerns into rural policy for development.
Health Equity in an Urbanizing Region
The Institute collaborated with the World Health Organization on a significant study, Equitable Health Access in South Asian Urban Centres. Findings illustrate the growing inequity in access to health care as urbanization progresses. Findings were used to inform WHO’s policy recommendations for urban health equity during the year, thereby positioning something as powerful as urban development in this growing region to change significantly.
Our Research
Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies engages in rigorous, cross-disciplinary research that promotes a greater understanding of the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that impact South Asia currently.
Sundar Singh Institute of South Asian Studies engages in rigorous, cross-disciplinary research that promotes a greater understanding of the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that impact South Asia currently.
We are an independent research institution that embraces the value of policy research and effective governance through scholarly pursuit. The research activities we undertake challenge notions of social equality, social equity, institutional reform, and cultural validity and seek to elaborate upon them through collaboration across disciplines and fields. In the interest of empirical credibility and relevant geo-political awareness, our goals extend beyond purely scholarly benefits on the level of disciplinary conflation; we also seek to promote the development of a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive South Asia.
Leadership & Faculty
The Institute is filled with a variety of researchers, policymakers, and cultural scholars. From tenured professors to junior-level staff, the team represents a nuanced and diverse approach to understanding.
Dr. Rajiv K. Menon
Head of Faculty and Assistant Director
Dr. David A. Chatterjee
Academic Affairs Coordinator
Affiliations & Partnerships
The Sundar Singh Institute frequently broadens the scope and dimensions of research endeavors through collaborations with government agencies, both national and international, and top educational entities—always striving for a universal destiny.