Under the auspices of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP), the program supports scholarly policy research on Indian economic reforms. Funded by a generous grant from the Templeton Foundation, it brings together scholars from Columbia and other universities and think tanks around the world to produce cutting-edge research. The program houses a data center on India's economy; organizes lectures, seminars and conferences in the United States and India; brings out the working papers; and publishes articles and books. Research topics addressed by the program include poverty, inequality, and democracy; policies aimed at transforming India from a primarily rural, agrarian economy into an urban and modern one; policies to promote better health outcomes; and state-level policy reforms necessary to accelerate growth and poverty alleviation.