Pune International Centre campus to be inaugurated on Republic Day

Pune, 23rd January 2025: Pune International Centre (PIC) organised a ‘Curtain Raiser’ press conference on January 23, 2025, to showcase its new campus, which will be inaugurated on January 26. The new campus is located in Panchvati, Pashan, Pune.
The inauguration ceremony is scheduled for January 26, 2025, on the occasion of India’s 76th Republic Day.
Talking about PIC and its vision, Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, FRS, President of PIC, said, “PIC is an ‘International centre in Pune’ and that Pune should be known to the outside world because of PIC. He added, “PIC’s strength is the brains of the people associated with it. “
PIC is an independent think tank which is the brainchild of Dr Mashelkar and Dr Vijay Kelkar (ex-bureaucrat and PIC Vice President) has, amidst it, as members & Trustees, distinguished personalities including ex-bureaucrats, Armed Forces Senior Officers, and Ambassadors. PICs engage with Central Government, State Governments, and other think tanks to contribute to making better public policies. Dr. Mashelkar, President PIC pointed out that PIC’s policy papers have been used in government policy.
Dr Ravi Pandit, Treasurer of the PIC, named the new PIC PIC 2.0 and said, “PIC 2.0 aims to be the ‘hotbed of new thinking.’
He said PIC has published four books and numerous policy papers. The PIC 2.0 aims to bring out at least 100 Policy papers annually. Also, PIC 2.0 will enthuse young blood by having young people as researchers. Dr. Pandit emphasised that PIC policy recommendations aim to bring out practical solutions that can be implemented. The policy will also look for solutions which support environmental sustainability. PIC C-SEM (Centre for Sustainable Energy and Mobility) is conducting a study on electric vehicles to help the Government of Maharashtra expand the EV ecosystem. The study will be completed in March 2025.
He pointed out the focus areas of PIC 2.0. It will include Social Innovation, Geopolitics & Geo-Economics, National Security, Art & Culture, and Cooperative Federalism & Multi-Level Governance.
Dr. Prashant Girbane, General Secretary, PIC, said, “PIC stands for ‘churning of ideas and transforming the future’. Accepting that Delhi is known for public policy, he expressed the desire that public policy recommendations should also come from other cities, like Pune. He said the nation and democracy are strengthened when public policy goes beyond Delhi. “Around 75000 people have attended PIC programmes in the past 13 years, and benefited from its outreach, which is free and open to public”, he said.
Pune International Centre (PIC) is an independent, multi-faceted, action-oriented policy research think tank deliberating on issues of national importance. It seeks to foster the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution and the UN Charter and has seven research verticals: Social Innovation; National Security; Energy Environment and Climate Change; Science, Technology & National Innovation Ecosystem; International Relations; Centrefor Sustainable Energy & Mobility; and Economic Reforms & Urbanisation. In addition to undertaking public policy research, PIC hosts major national and international conferences, and promotes the arts and culture.
PIC was established on 24 September 2011 under the leadership of renowned scientist Dr. R A Mashelkar, FRS (President), senior economist and ex-bureaucrat Dr. Vijay Kelkar (Vice President), and others. Today, PIC has grown into an institution with 514 Distinguished. Members: 59 Institutional Members (IITs, IIMs, Universities, etc.), and 14 Corporate Members.
The new PIC campus at Pashan will provide the impetus for mental and physical activities, and is expected to fuel the growth of PIC to greater heights.