Thinkers Collective: IDC’s initiative for pause, reflection and dialogue...by Dr. Pramod Kumar
‘Pause’ and ‘reflect’ are the keywords here. The year 2025 witnessed the launch of Thinkers Collective, an initiative of the Chandigarh-based autonomous think-tank, Institute for Development and Communication (IDC).
In times when noise rules and spaces of dialogue and conversation are constantly shrinking, Thinkers Collective aims to provide a platform for deep reflection, intelligent conversations, and creative endeavours. Pushing for diverse viewpoints and reclaiming the lost ability to listen to multiple ideas, it strives to be a space where diversity reigns supreme.
Conceived as an ever-emerging and immersive programme that will consistently give back to society, Thinkers Collective is shape-shifting in its essence — listening to and observing everything that people grapple with, and bringing together scholars, domain experts, and artists to share their viewpoints on contemporary and future situations.
Democratic in its essence and never ‘preachy’, it is a force that promises novel ideas, unique perspectives, and intelligent worldviews.
The initiative boasts several verticals, all aimed at stimulating people’s intellectual growth. While ‘Global Dialogues’ emphasises collaborations emerging from civilisational ties, ‘Thinkers Hub’ serves as an invisible platform where artists, activists, and those immersed in policymaking find a strong common ground for deliberation.
The ‘Distinguished Fellowship’ looks at cultivating and encouraging young and promising voices that can be instrumental in shaping the future — both in thought and action.
The forum will consistently work on a multitude of themes and organise a series of events around them. These themes include ‘Future At Risk’ (climate and environment, AI and technology’, health and Pandemic, geopolitics and risks’, economics and resources, and existential futures’), ‘On the Edge’ (drug abuse, war and peace, justice for marginalised groups’, ‘religious coexistence and communal harmony), ‘Many Indias, One Story’ (exploring India, Charvaka Samvad, and carrying the narrative forward).
Dr. Jaskiran Mathur, Project Director of Thinkers Collective stresses that ‘true’ conversations have become rare, and the ability to put forth one’s ideas without getting into a shouting match has become rarer still. She adds that at the end of the day, it is the act of articulating one’s ideas and listening to those of others is what ascertains growth in the true sense of the word.
“It just does not matter if one agrees or disagrees with what the other has to say. What is paramount is that there be a space where this can happen. We must re-learn to listen,” she comments.
The founder members of the forum include Gurbachan Jagat, Satish Chandra, Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, Ramesh Inder Singh, Ramesh Vinayak, RS Cheema, Dr KK Talwar, Dr. SY Quraishi, Prof Dipankar Gupta, Prof. Ronki Ram, Anupam Gupta, RI Singh, and Dr. BS Ghuman.
Talking about Thinkers Collective, Dr. Pramod Kumar, Chairperson of IDC who conceived the forum emphasises that at its core lies social responsibility.
Stressing that a consistent connect with people from across different strata is something that must be non-negotiable, he adds, “Be it through lectures by internationally renowned scholars, discussions with authors in an informal setting, theatre, art exhibitions, or poetry evenings, our focus will always be people, and what effects them.
The themes have been carefully chosen after much deliberation and keeping into account contemporary challenges. Also, we are not about inviting only established names, but also those who may not be widely recognised yet boast of immense talent. Encouraging experimentation and cross-pollination across fields is extremely high on our agenda. The age of sticking to silos is now over,” he concludes.
December 24, 2025
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Dr. Pramod Kumar, Chairperson, Institute for Development and Communication (IDC)
idcchd@gmail.com
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