Sundeep Waslekar

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Sundeep Waslekar
Sundeep Waslekar, at the 2009 Horasis Global China Business Meeting (cropped).jpg
Waslekar at the Horasis Global China Business Meeting 2009
Born
Mumbai, India
Nationality Indian
Alma mater Oxford University
Known for Peace and conflict studies, Global Future, Water Diplomacy
Scientific career
Fields Governance, Peace and conflict studies
Institutions Strategic Foresight Group, Centre for Policy Research, International IDEA

Sundeep Waslekar is an Indian author and public policy thinker who serves as president of the Strategic Foresight Group, a Mumbai-based think tank. [1] His work primarily focuses on international cooperation, particularly in areas such as conflict resolution and transboundary water management. [2] Reports produced under his leadership have been referenced in proceedings at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, including during discussions on water security in the Middle East. [3] His policy recommendations have also been cited in various United Nations forums, with mentions in documentation related to the United Nations Security Council. [4] In 2019, Waslekar was among the signatories of the Normandy Manifesto for World Peace, a statement supported by global figures advocating diplomatic approaches to resolving international tensions. [5]

Contents

Education

Waslekar was born in Mumbai, India, and raised in Dombivli. He obtained a Master of Commerce from the University of Mumbai. After graduation, he published an article on reforming the global financial system in Financial Express , and presented his views at a seminar hosted by Liberal International.

In December 2011, he received an honourary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) from Symbiosis International University. [6] In 2014, he was elected Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflicts, Harris Manchester College, Oxford. [7]

Contributions to Global Policy

Sundeep Waslekar has contributed to global policy discourse through his work on conflict resolution, water diplomacy, and foresight studies. He has advised governments and international organizations on strategies for long-term peace and sustainable development. As President of the Strategic Foresight Group, he has led initiatives aimed at bridging policy divides across regions, including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. One of his most notable contributions is the conceptualization of the "Blue Peace" framework, which promotes transboundary water cooperation as a means to foster peace and stability among nations. [8]

Waslekar has also collaborated with the United Nations, the World Bank, and the governments of over 50 countries on policy initiatives concerning regional cooperation, terrorism prevention, and future preparedness. [9]

His writings and policy contributions have influenced international efforts to integrate water security into foreign policy and peacebuilding strategies. [10]

Peace processes

In the 1980s, Waslekar contributed articles to international newspapers such as the Ottawa Citizen , San Jose Mercury News , Hamilton Spectator , and Toledo Blade . In 1985, during the United Nations International Year of Peace, he led an Eight-Nation Peace Mission from Rome to Ottawa. He later joined the Centre for Policy Research to focus on economic collaboration and conflict resolution in South Asia. In 1991, he founded the International Centre for Peace Initiatives, which participated in diplomatic efforts between India and Pakistan. [11]

After the September 11 attacks, he coordinated dialogues between Western and Islamic leaders in collaboration with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and the League of Arab States. In 2009, he launched water diplomacy dialogues in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. [12]

In the early 2000s, he and Ilmas Futehally of the Strategic Foresight Group developed cost-of-conflict models for India–Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East. [13] In 2015, he introduced the Water Cooperation Quotient to assess cooperation in transboundary river basins. The model was revised in 2017 to cover 286 shared river basins worldwide and received political support from the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government. [14]

Waslekar was involved in the development of the Blue Peace framework, which promotes water as a means for regional cooperation. The framework contributed to the first United Nations Security Council session on water and security (Session 7818). [15]

Governance

Between 1989 and 1991, Waslekar consulted with international leaders to develop proposals for post–Cold War global governance. In the 1990s, he published two books on governance in South Asia: South Asian Drama: Travails of Misgovernance and Dharma Rajya: Path-breaking Reforms for India's Governance. [16] [17]

In 2002, he proposed a framework for categorizing the Indian economy based on consumption patterns. [18] In 2005, he was associated with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin’s proposal for a G-20 framework. [19]

Global Future

In 2007, Waslekar published an article in The Economic Times discussing the potential for global financial instability. In 2008, the Strategic Foresight Group published a report titled Emerging Issues: 2011–2020 outlining 20 global trends.

He spoke at conferences hosted by the Aspen Institute and Bertelsmann Foundation in 2009 on the global economic crisis. In 2011, he co-authored the book Big Questions of Our Time [20] with Ilmas Futehally, addressing future challenges in philosophy, politics, and science.

Partial bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "Founder". Strategic Foresight Group. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "Blue Peace in the Middle East" (PDF). Strategic Foresight Group. 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "House of Commons Debate". Hansard. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Ghosh, Palash (30 December 2011). "India's Blue Peace Plan". Forbes. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "Normandy Manifesto for World Peace". Normandy for Peace. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "About" . Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Team - profile". Archived from the original on 3 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "The Blue Peace: Rethinking Middle East Water" (PDF). Strategic Foresight Group. 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Sundeep Waslekar". Oxford Martin School. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  10. ↑ "Blue Peace Movement" . Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "In an incisive appeal for reason in an arms-mad world, Sundeep Waslekar's A World Without War seeks to turn back the ticking nuclear clock". The Indian Express. 4 March 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  12. ↑ "Sundeep Waslekar: From Despair To Hope". Forbes India. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  13. ↑ "Conflict has cost the Middle East $12 trillion - study". Reuters .
  14. ↑ "Water co-operation: the power of principles". www.osce.org. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  15. ↑ "S/PV.7818" . Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  16. ↑ Tharoor, Shashi (4 April 2006). "India: From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond".
  17. ↑ "The Interview - Peace and global governance: New strategies in a changing world". France 24. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  18. ↑ "ZESTCurrent : Message: Governments come and governments go, India mov…". 9 July 2012.
  19. ↑ "l20.org" (PDF).
  20. ↑ "Strategic Foresight Group - Anticipating and Influencing Global Future" (PDF).
  21. ↑ Sundeep Waslekar. "Eka dishecha Shodh". Rajhans Prakashan. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
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