Applications Open for Policy Pioneers Program | Policy Leadership Program

Program Description
Policy Pioneers is a 20-week blended policy leadership program by India House, a policy think tank, designed for students, young professionals and changemakers who want to build a career in public policy.

The program combines policy foundations, practitioner-led learning, hands-on projects, in-person learning camps, and mentorship from bureaucrats & policy professionals to help participants move beyond learning about policy to actually working on policy issues.

What does the program offer?

Policy Pioneers will help participants:

• Build policy foundation: Build a strong foundation in how public policy is conceptualised, formulated, implemented and evaluated.
• Develop policy skills: Strengthen research, analysis, writing, communication, problem-solving and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Learn from practitioners:  Engage with policymakers, practitioners, researchers and experts working across different areas of public policy.
• Work on a live policy challenge: Apply your learning through the 13-week Hands-On Project, working on a real policy problem with IAS officers in a small team.
• Build a professional network: Learn alongside peers from diverse backgrounds and connect with experts & professionals across the policy ecosystem.

Specializations Offered:
For the Winter Cohort 2026, participants can choose from three specializations:
- Education
- Sustainability
- Public Systems & Governance

Who should join us?
Policy Pioneers is designed for individuals who are curious about public policy and want to build the knowledge, skills and practical experience required to contribute to the field.
The program is particularly relevant for:

• Students and recent graduates exploring public policy as a career.
• Young professionals looking to understand the policy ecosystem and build policy-specific capabilities.
• Professionals considering a career transition into public policy, governance, development or related fields.
• UPSC and other competitive-exam aspirants who want to explore policy careers beyond examination and civil services.

The program welcomes participants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. A prior degree or qualification in public policy is not required.

Program at Glance

To apply, click here: Applications Open for Policy Pioneers Program | Policy Leadership Program