Deputy Directors
Shristi Pukhrem
Dr. Shristi Pukhrem, currently serving as a Deputy Director (Academics & Research) at India Foundation, holds a Doctorate from the School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is a JRF (Junior Research Fellow) in Political Science awarded by University Grants Commission, Government of India. Formerly employed as a Researcher at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), New Delhi, Dr. Pukhrem’s research areas covers India-ASEAN relations, India’s bilateral relations with the South-East Asian Countries, the Act-East Policy with larger focus on the Indo-Pacific region. She was a Visiting Scholar at the ASEAN Studies Centre, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok in 2016 where she contributed significantly to her field. Additionally, she was honored as one of the Canberra Fellows in March 2019, actively participating in the Trilateral Canberra Fellowship held in Australia. Shristi is a 2022 US Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) QUAD Fellow on "Enhancing Regional Maritime Governance and Cooperation in the Quad”.
Deeksha Goel
Deeksha Goel is a Deputy Director (Adm) and Senior Research Fellow at India Foundation. An engineer, and a strategy and financial analyst by training, Deeksha brings on board the experience of having dealt with cross-sectoral projects. As a researcher, Deeksha has been studying the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), and Impact of Development Finance on economic sustainability specific to the countries of the IOR. Deeksha has also edited a book on the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has authored papers and articles on issues of global contemporary relevance.