USI Core Team
Maj Gen BK Sharma, AVSM, SM** (Retd)
Deputy Director (Research) and Head Centre for Strategic Studies and Simulation (CS3)
He is PSC, HC, NDC, MPhil (Twice), and PGDM. His prestigious Command and Staff assignments include, Senior Faculty Member at NDC, New Delhi; Command of a Mountain Division, BGS of a Corps, Principal Director Net Assessment, Defence Attaché in Central Asia and UN Military Observer in Central America. He specializes in Strategic Net Assessment, Scenario Building and Strategic Gaming. He writes for professional journals and participates in national and international events.
Dr (Mrs) Roshan Khanijo
Assistant Director (Research)
Her academic qualification includes BSc, MA and PhD. Her area of interests is strategic issues particularly Nuclear Strategy, Nuclear profile of Nuclear Weapon States, Armament, Disarmament, Niche technologies etc. She has authored and edited books, monographs, occasional papers namely, “Complexities and Challenges of Nuclear India”, “The Indo-Pacific Region: Security Dynamics & Challenges”, “Iranian Nuclear Conundrum”, etc. She has been a panellist in various national and international panel discussions and a guest speaker at Air War College, Hyderabad, Southern Naval command, Kochi, OP Jindal Global University, etc. She was the member of the study team which did the Net Assessment on China, South Asia, Pakistan, etc for HQIDS.
Mr Gaurav Kumar
Associate Research Fellow
He has completed his Master’s in Development Studies, Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD). As a Strategic Analyst, he has extensively published articles, journals, occasional papers on issues like regional security, peace and conflict, human rights, narcotics, crime, in addition to the traditional concerns with security both from internal and external threats in India and South Asia. He is the co-editor of the book “India – Uzbekistan Partnership in Regional Peace and Stability: Challenges and Prospects.”
Research Scholars
Lt Gen GS Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
Distinguished Fellow
He is PSC, HC, and NDC. He is a former DG Perspective Planning and GoC of a Corps. He has two Masters Degrees, one in Strategic Studies from Madras University and the other in Defence Analysis from The Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. His focal areas of interest are Pakistan, multi-domain warfare, military strategy and military history.
Maj Gen Rajiv Narayanan, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
Distinguished Fellow
He was at the Army HQ the GOC of a Mountain Division in the North East, and as the ADGMO (B) at the Army HQ. He has served as the DA in the Indian Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. His interests include geopolitics, China, military strategy, force structuring, capability development and military echnology. He has written numerous articles for various magazine and journals.
Maj Gen RPS Bhadauria, VSM (Retd)
Distinguished Fellow
He is Psc, HDMC, NDC. He was the first Chief of Staff of the Mountain Strike Corps. He commanded, raised division in Arunachal Pradesh. He was SDS at the NDC. He served in DRDO on project to develop computer war games for the Army. He attended courses on Politics and Strategic Affairs in Brazil in 2006.
Brig Sanjeev Chauhan, YSM
Senior Research Fellow
He is Psc, HDMC, NDC, M.Phil. He is an Infantry officer in the Indian Army with experience in counter terrorism, border security, peace keeping, disaster management, and defence resource management. He joined USI as a Senior Fellow in July 2018. He is working on the project “Chinese Strategic Behaviour.”
Brig Vivek Verma
Senior Research Fellow
He is Psc. He is a Gunner Officer with experience in sub conventional conflict, border management along Western and Northern Borders and disaster management. An Instructor Gunnery he was artillery advisor to Botswana Defence Forces. He is Post Graduate in Weapon Systems and M Phil in Defence Studies. He was Deputy Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, Delhi from 2012 to 2015. He is working on the project “PLA’s Increasing Non-Contact Warfare Capabilities.”
Col Shaman Chodha
Senior Research Fellow
He is Psc and HC. He has done his M. Phil in Strategic Studies from Punjab University. He has also done SMERCH Weapon System Battery Commander course from Mikhailoskaya Artillery Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russia. He served as Col GS of an infantry division. He is working on a project “Pakistan’s Internal Security Challenges and the Army’s Ability to Overcome Them,” at the USI.
Col Nihar Kuanr
Senior Research Fellow
He is a Psc officer. He was awarded Lengtaign Medal for writing the best dissertation during the course. He holds post graduate degrees in Weapon Technology and Strategic and Defence Studies from Pune University and Madras University respectively. He has done his M. Phil in Defence and National Security studies from Punjab University. Currently he is a Senior Research Fellow with the USI of India. He is working on a project “China’s Military Reforms and its Impact on HRD and Lessons for India,” at the USI.
Cdr Subhasish Sarangi
Research Fellow
He was commissioned into the Electrical Branch of the Indian Navy. The officer has served on board frontline warships (Indian Naval Ships Ranjit, Tabar, Trishul and Talwar), Naval Dockyard/WECORS and WESEE. He has post graduate degrees in Signal Processing and International Relations. His research interests include international relations, maritime security and cyber security. He is working on a project “Maritime Corridors in the Indo-Pacific: Geo-political Implications for India,” at the USI.
