Centre for Public Policy Research
An independent Indian nonprofit policy research organization based in Kochi.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) is an independent, nonprofit policy research organization based in Kochi, Kerala. Established in 2004, it works on public-policy questions involving education, livelihoods, governance, urban reform, transport, security, democracy, data access and the environment. Its stated intellectual orientation emphasizes freedom of expression, the rule of law and the right to livelihood, alongside the broader goals of a democratic, secular, socially just and environmentally sustainable society. CPPR combines research, policy analysis, professional training, public discussion and institutional partnerships. Its work has often focused on practical governance problems in Indian cities and states, including public transport integration, parking, autorickshaw and para-transit regulation, access to government information, development indicators and informal-sector livelihoods. The organization has also undertaken comparative research on Indian states and cities, electoral processes, Centre–state relations and emerging political actors. Its strategic research has addressed subjects such as energy security, maritime security, terrorism, extremism and intergovernmental cooperation. The organization’s principal research structure has included the CPPR Centre for Urban Studies, the CPPR Centre for Comparative Studies, the CPPR Centre for Strategic Studies and the CPPR Academy. The urban studies centre examines urbanization, market activity, growth centres and sustainable urban systems. The comparative studies centre analyzes socioeconomic and political variation among Indian states and the relationships among national, state and city governments. The strategic studies centre develops research capacity and databases on regional and national security. The academy promotes scientific thinking, public-policy research methods and cooperation with universities and other research institutions. CPPR has also operated educational and knowledge-sharing programs. These include the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre’s Finishing School for Law Students, public-policy research-methods summer and winter schools, internships, the CPPR Quarterly Lecture Series, seminars and workshops. The research-methods schools were developed with support from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, now associated with the Atlas Network, and attracted participants from several regions outside India. CPPR has hosted international academic visitors, including participants in the Semester at Sea program, and has used lectures and dialogues to connect research with public debate. Among its documented policy engagements, CPPR assisted the Government of India, together with Civitas Legal Solutions, in work connected with the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy. It also initiated the Digital RTI Mission in 2009, contributing to Kerala’s early adoption of digital mechanisms for right-to-information applications. In urban mobility, it developed the Mobility Hub concept for Ernakulam and undertook related feasibility work, helping advance the integration of road, rail and water transport around Kochi’s Vyttila area. Other projects examined Chennai’s autorickshaw fare system, para-transit integration and parking infrastructure. CPPR’s India Development Indicators project standardized and visualized development information across states, districts and parliamentary constituencies. CPPR is best understood as a research and policy-influence institution rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its outputs consist primarily of studies, data platforms, policy recommendations, training programs, lectures and convening activities. Publicly available reference material identifies Dr D. Dhanuraj as chairman of its board of trustees and lists several academics and a former diplomat on its advisory board. Detailed current organizational, financial and leadership information is not established in the supplied sources.
History
The Centre for Public Policy Research was established in Kochi in 2004 by a group of young people who sought to create a policy institution grounded in freedom of expression, the rule of law and the right to livelihood. Its stated ambition was to contribute to a society that is equitable, socially just and environmentally sound, while drawing on democratic and secular principles. From the outset, CPPR operated across several policy areas rather than limiting itself to a single discipline. A significant early strand of its work concerned access to public information and the use of research in government decision-making. In 2009, CPPR initiated the Digital RTI Mission, an effort associated with the digitization and wider accessibility of right-to-information processes in Kerala. In the same year, the Ministry of Science and Technology authorized CPPR and Civitas Legal Solutions to assist the Government of India with preparation of the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy. The draft was subsequently cleared by the Union Cabinet on 15 February 2012. This engagement reflected CPPR’s interest in making government information more accessible through a coordinated public-data framework. CPPR expanded its institutional structure in 2013 with the launch of several specialist centres. The Centre for Urban Studies was launched in Kochi on 2 September 2013 by Susan Zielinski, managing director of SMART at Michigan State University. It focused on urban growth centres, market activity, Indian urbanization and sustainable systems for cities. The Centre for Comparative Studies followed on 6 September 2013, launched by Dr Chandra Ranade of Virginia International University. Its remit included comparisons among Indian states, democratic processes, voting patterns, conflict and relationships between the Centre, states and cities. The Centre for Strategic Studies was launched on 16 August 2013 with a lecture by Ernest Bower of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, organized in association with the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai. It addressed energy, maritime security, terrorism, extremism and intergovernmental security cooperation. CPPR Academy was created to support research training, scientific thinking and partnerships with academic institutions. Urban policy became one of CPPR’s most visible areas of activity. The organization promoted the Bus Day campaign in Kochi to encourage residents to use city buses instead of private vehicles and to draw attention to congestion and environmental costs. It also developed the Mobility Hub concept in cooperation with the Ernakulam district administration and undertook feasibility work for the Confederation of Indian Industry. The concept helped inform the integration of transport modes at Vyttila, where road, metro and planned water connections were brought into a common mobility framework. Additional urban studies examined autorickshaw pricing in Chennai, the formal integration of para-transit into public transport, and parking standards and infrastructure. The organization’s research and educational work broadened through courses, fellowships, lectures and international exchanges. Its Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre launched the three-day Finishing School for Law Students in 2008. CPPR and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation initiated a public-policy research-methods winter school in 2012, later developing both summer and winter formats for researchers and policy organizations. CPPR also hosted interns, organized seminars and ran a quarterly lecture series featuring speakers from politics, academia, science, diplomacy and public administration. Semester at Sea participants began visiting its Kochi office in 2010 for discussions on social justice, sustainable development, democracy and later global trade from an Indian perspective. Other documented initiatives included the Law, Liberty and Livelihood Project, which studied regulatory barriers facing informal-sector workers in Indian cities; India Development Indicators, an online effort to harmonize and visualize development data across multiple geographic levels; and a study of campus politics examining the implementation of recommendations associated with the Lyngdoh Committee. Through these projects, CPPR combined field research, data analysis, institutional dialogue and public communication. The supplied reference material does not provide a complete account of its current leadership, funding, staffing or recent activities, so those aspects remain incompletely documented here.
- 2013
Specialist research centres launched
[1]CPPR launched its urban, comparative and strategic studies centres in Kochi during August and September, and expanded its academy function.
- 2013
Quarterly lecture series begins
[1]The CPPR Quarterly Lecture Series was inaugurated by Shashi Tharoor with a talk on freedom of expression in the internet era.
- 2012
Research-methods school initiated
[1]CPPR and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation launched a pilot winter school for public-policy research methods.
- 2012
National data policy draft cleared
[1]The Union Cabinet cleared the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy draft on 15 February.
- 2009
Digital RTI Mission initiated
[1]CPPR initiated a digital right-to-information program in Kerala.
- 2009
National data-policy assistance begins
[1]CPPR and Civitas Legal Solutions were authorized to assist the Government of India with the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy.
- 2008
Finishing School for Law Students launched
[1]CPPR’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre began a residential certificate program for law graduates.
- 2004
Organization established
[1]The Centre for Public Policy Research was established in Kochi as an independent nonprofit policy research organization.
Products and positioning
An independent Indian think tank combining applied policy research, public education and policy advocacy, with particular strength in urban governance, mobility, livelihoods, democratic institutions and research capacity-building.
Research centre · 2013
CPPR Centre for Urban Studies
A specialist centre examining Indian urbanization, growth centres, market activity, mobility and sustainable urban systems. Its work has included the Bus Day campaign in Kochi, the Mobility Hub concept for Ernakulam, and studies of autorickshaw fares, para-transit and parking in Chennai.
Research centre · 2013
CPPR Centre for Comparative Studies
A centre focused on comparative analysis of Indian states and cities, including socioeconomic development, political change, voting patterns, conflict, democratic processes and relationships among national, state and local institutions.
Research centre · 2013
CPPR Centre for Strategic Studies
A strategic-research unit covering energy security, maritime security, terrorism, extremism and inter-state or international cooperation. It aims to build regional security expertise and support stronger coordination between national and state security institutions.
Education and training
CPPR Academy
The academy promotes scientific thinking and public-policy research through training, knowledge dissemination and partnerships with universities and other research organizations.
Civic technology and governance initiative · 2009
Digital RTI Mission
An initiative begun in 2009 to improve digital access to right-to-information processes and public information requests, with a particular association with Kerala.
Data platform
India Development Indicators
An online data initiative designed to standardize, harmonize and visualize development indicators at state, district and parliamentary-constituency levels. The documented project covered 20 states and two union territories, including 378 districts.
Professional certificate program · 2008
Finishing School for Law Students
A three-day residential certificate course for law graduates organized through CPPR’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre. It is intended to supplement formal legal education with practical and professional preparation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Digital RTI Mission
Kerala, India
CPPR promoted digital mechanisms for right-to-information access and public-document requests.
Outcome. The initiative contributed to Kerala being described as India's first digital RTI state in the supplied reference material.
- Bus Day
Kochi, India
A public-awareness campaign that encouraged residents to leave private vehicles at home and use city buses, presenting public transport as a way to reduce congestion and environmental pressure.
Outcome. The campaign increased public discussion around bus use and sustainable urban mobility; a quantified impact is not documented in the supplied sources.
Brand decisions
2013
Expansion into specialist policy centresStrategyBackground
CPPR sought to organize its research around urban development, comparative political analysis and strategic studies.
Action taken
It launched dedicated centres for urban studies, comparative studies and strategic studies in Kochi, alongside the CPPR Academy.
Aftermath
The structure broadened CPPR’s research and training portfolio; subsequent institutional details are not fully documented in the supplied material.
2012
Launch of public-policy research-methods schoolsStrategyBackground
CPPR and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation identified a need for stronger research-methods training among policy institutions and individual researchers.
Action taken
They initiated a winter-school pilot and subsequently developed summer and winter programs for participants from India and other regions.
Aftermath
The programs became an international training and capacity-building activity, although enrollment and financial results are not documented.
Recent events
- 2012
India's Cabinet clears the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy draft[1]
Regulation · Other
The Cabinet of India cleared the draft policy on 15 February 2012 following the preceding policy-development work in which CPPR participated.
- 2009
CPPR assists preparation of India's National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy[1]
Regulation · Other
The Ministry of Science and Technology authorized CPPR and Civitas Legal Solutions to assist the Government of India in preparing a national framework for sharing and accessing public data.
- 2009
CPPR launches the Digital RTI Mission[1]
Other
The organization initiated a digital right-to-information effort intended to make information requests more accessible and helped position Kerala as an early digital RTI state.
CPPR develops the Vyttila Mobility Hub concept[1]
Other
CPPR worked with the Ernakulam district administration and prepared feasibility-related work for the Confederation of Indian Industry, supporting a multimodal transport hub concept in Kochi.
Sources2 sources
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