Centre for Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Joins the Media Influence Matrix Project

Initiated in 2016, the Centre for Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (CPS-IITB), aims at providing space for a sustained dialogue between academia and policy stakeholders. The Centre’s vision is to promote evidence-based and inclusive policy analysis, and create capacity for policy studies in the country. Research at CPS is organised into eight Policy Research Units on Water and Sanitation, Information Economy, Gender, Regulatory Governance, Energy, Nutrition, Agriculture, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Currently running an active doctoral program with an intensive and multifaceted course structure, the Centre also hosts experts and postdoctoral fellows from multidisciplinary fields. 

CPS-IITB is the lead partner in researching the Indian media landscape in the Media and Power Consortium. The consortium runs the Media Influence Matrix, a project launched in 2017 by the CMDS. At present, Vibodh Parthasarathi, visiting fellow (2018-19) at CPS, and Simran Agarwal, project member at CPS are anchoring the research on behalf of CPS-IITB. 

Vibodh Parthasarathi maintains a multidisciplinary interest in media policy and creative industries. On extraordinary leave during 2017-19 from his tenure at Jamia Millia Islamia, he has been awarded visiting positions at the University of Queensland and at KU Leuven, besides at CPS-IITB. His latest work is the co-edited double volume The Indian Media Economy (OUP 2017). 

Simran Agarwal is a media research scholar with a keen interest in the political economy of the media and in narrowing the wide disconnect between media policy priorities and society. She is currently a project member at the Centre for Policy Studies, IITB and was previously in the team producing the annual Free Speech Report by The Hoot.