The UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement are two key global commitments of 2018 to protect the welfare of People and the Planet. This decade has witnessed rapid evolution in global economic, political and social spectra and a renewed focus on social contracts between citizens and governments; as well as industrial revolution 4.0 driven by technology and production processes, transformation of the nature of work. The year 2020 presents a crucial time to reflect on opportunities and challenges pertaining to the processes for achieving sustainable development futures. Governments around the world are grappling with processes and policies to achieve sustainable development involving inclusion, trade negotiations, innovation and entrepreneurship and social justice. And various reforms and processes are emerging in economies across the world, in all spheres of economic, political and social spheres.

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​In this spirit, Sustainable Development Futures seeks further understanding of long-standing questions on growth, inequality, demography, inclusion and sustainability. We aim to address some of the following questions – What are the challenges and opportunities to enable environmental sustainability? What are the challenges and possibilities for tackling political and economic governance? How will the changes in the age of the gig economy, artificial intelligence, platform economy, growing urbanisation and industrial revolution 4.0 impact the developments in emerging economies and influence global development? How might the emerging challenges manifest themselves in policies and practices for the future? What are the potential approaches, new technologies and new solutions necessary to re-imagine the future of development in era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and beyond?

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These are questions which require further exploration from thinkers and policy makers in India, other emerging economies, and beyond toward sustainable futures. Policy today seeks new approaches, new technologies and new solutions to re-imagine the future of development.

India Sustainable Development Futures presents ideas and empirical studies involving academics associated with the LSE India Observatory. It also curates and showcases the multi-disciplinary research done on these topics by scholars at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences to offer a resource for students, practitioners and policy-makers engaging with the future of development for India, and the world at large. 

About LSE India Observatory

The India Observatory (IO), established in 2006, is involved in undertaking high impact multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary evidence-based research on a range of sustainable development issues and has a strong public policy engagement in, and with, India, Asia and beyond. Having a global focus, with particular reference to emerging economies, the IO works in collaboration with international partners for the generation and exchange of knowledge on India, Asia and their position in the world.

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It has strong links with academic institutions; public and private sector institutions to further knowledge exchange and capacity building and contributes to the debate on broader policy issues by promoting and supporting active engagement related to emerging economies for mutual understanding and sustainable development globally.

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​We appreciate research assistance from the following students for the development of this website: 

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Ms. Anoushka Agrawal, Wheaton College, USA

Mr. Hiren Gupta, Wheaton College, USA

Ms. Bhavisha Lalan, LSE, UK

Ms. Eva Rana, LSE, UK

Mr. Mithilesh Shah, LSE, UK

Mr. Ben Tyler, LSE, UK

Ms. Xiaoyun Zhang, LSE, UK

The website administrator is Mr. Kevin Shields.