Team ORCA Team ORCA

Eerishika Pankaj is the Director of New Delhi based think-tank, the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA), which focuses on decoding domestic Chinese politics and its impact on Beijing’s foreign policymaking. She is also the Convenor of ORCA's Global Conference on New Sinology (GCNS), which is India's premier dialogue driven China conference. She is also an Editorial and Research Assistant to the Series Editor for Routledge Series on Think Asia; a Young Leader in the 2020 cohort of the Pacific Forum’s Young Leaders Program; a Commissioning Editor with E-International Relations for their Political Economy section; a Member of the Indo-Pacific Circle and a Council Member of the WICCI’s India-EU Business Council. Primarily a China and East Asia scholar, her research focuses on Chinese elite/party politics, the India-China border, water and power politics in the Himalayas, Tibet, the Indo-Pacific and India’s bilateral ties with Europe and Asia. In 2023, she was selected as an Emerging Quad Think Tank Leader, an initiative of the U.S. State Department’s Leaders Lead on Demand program. She co-edited the ORCAxISDP Special Issue "The Dalai Lama's Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question" and edited the ORCAxWICCI Special Issue "Building the Future of EU-India Strategic Partnership: Between Trade, Technology, Security and China." She can be reached on [email protected]

Rahul Karan Reddy is an international relations analyst with a Masters degree from O.P Jindal Global University in Diplomacy, Law and Business. He is the author of ‘Islands on the Rocks’, a monograph detailing the Senkaku/Diaoyu island dispute between China and Japan. His research focus is China and East Asia. He was a research analyst at the Chennai Center for China Studies (C3S) and an intern at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), writing articles and reports on China’s foreign policy and domestic politics. His blog, Asian Drama, follows the rise of India and China as they navigate the Asian Century. He is also the co-convenor of ORCA's Global Conference on New Sinology (GCNS), which is India's premier dialogue driven China conference. He can be reached on [email protected]

A postgraduate in Global Studies from Ambedkar University, Delhi, Ratish’s area of interest includes understanding the value of Narratives, Rhetoric and Ideology in State and Non-State interactions, deconstructing political narratives in Global Affairs as well as focusing on India’s Foreign Policy interests in the Global South and South Asia. He was previously associated with The Pranab Mukherjee Foundation and has worked on projects such as Indo-Sino relations, History of the Constituent Assembly of India and the Evolution of Democratic Institutions in India. His forthcoming projects at ORCA include a co-edited Special Issue on India’s Soft Power Diplomacy in South Asia, Tracing India’s Path as the Voice of the Global South and Deconstructing Beijing’s ‘Global’ Narratives. He is also the co-convenor of ORCA's Global Conference on New Sinology (GCNS), which is India's premier dialogue driven China conference. He can be reached out at [email protected]

Omkar Bhole is a Senior Research Associate at Organization for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). He is also the co-convenor of ORCA's Global Conference on New Sinology (GCNS), which is India's premier dialogue driven China conference. He is a Chinese language student and completed Masters in China Studies from Somaiya University, Mumbai. His research interests are China’s domestic economy, China's trade relations with other countries, its foreign policy in South Asia and China’s domestic politics. He has previously done internships at the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) and What China Reads. He has also presented a paper at the 1st All India Conference of East Asian Studies and 16th All India Conference on China Studies. He can be reached @bhole_omkar on Twitter or email at [email protected]

Trishala S is a Research Associate at the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She holds a degree in Sociology with a minor in Public Policy from FLAME University. Trishala’s research interests lie at the intersection of socio-political dynamics, family and gender studies, and legal frameworks, with a particular focus on China. Her work examines the effects of aging populations, gender disparities, and rural-urban migration on social welfare, labor policies, and the integration of migrants into urban environments. She is also the coordinator of ORCA's Global Conference on New Sinology (GCNS), which is India's premier dialogue driven China conference. She can be reached at [email protected]

Ophelia Yumlembam is a Junior Research Associate at the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). Before joining ORCA, she worked at the Dept. Of Political Science, University of Delhi, and interned at the Council for Strategic and Defence Research in New Delhi. She graduated with an M.A. in Political Science from the DU in 2023. Ophelia focuses on security and strategic-related developments in Myanmar, India's Act East Policy, India-Myanmar relations, and drugs and arms trafficking in India’s North Eastern Region. Her writings have been featured in the Diplomat, South Asian Voices (Stimson Centre), 9dashline, Observer Research Foundation, among other platforms.

Vidisha Jain is an undergraduate student at FLAME University, majoring in Psychology with a minor in International Studies. She is currently doing her Summer Internship Program with ORCA as a research intern.

Somya Gupta is the Office Administrative Assistant at the Organisation for Research on China and Asia (ORCA). She brings cross-functional experience in research coordination, social media management, and administrative operations, having worked with multiple policy-focused and development-sector organizations including World Intellectual Foundation, Gramya Ventures and The Social and Learning Lab. With a Master's degree in Political Science from Subharti University and a Bachelor's from Delhi University, Somya combines academic depth with practical experience in stakeholder engagement, documentation, and program logistics. Her work has spanned project scheduling, content creation, event planning, and research support often across simultaneous roles. She can be reached out at [email protected].

Aastha is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science at Amity University, Noida. She holds a Bachelor's degree in the same discipline from the University of Delhi, Dyal Singh College. Additionally, she has completed a diploma in International Relations and Affairs, further strengthening her academic foundation. Aastha is the Co-founder of Mudra by Aashi, a socially conscious fashion brand that actively supports animal welfare. Her commitment to social causes is also reflected in her experience interning with Saarthi NGO and volunteering as a COVID-19 relief coordinator. Deeply passionate about Asian geopolitics, She aspires to contribute to ORCA by writing insightful, research-driven newsletters that reflect her academic rigour and dedication to international affairs.

Yuvraj Sindhwani is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at FLAME University, with a major in International Studies and a minor in Advertising and Branding. He is presently doing his Summer Internship Program (SIP) at ORCA, where he is working as a research intern.

Melany Rodriguez is a final-year International Relations student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). She has gained experience through academic research, participation in international seminars, and volunteering with multicultural teams. Her thesis focuses on the Chinese diaspora in Peru and its impact on the country’s foreign policy toward China, reflecting her strong interest in diplomacy, international cooperation, and Asia–Latin America relations. Melany is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in English, and is currently studying Japanese. She is also at an intermediate level in Mandarin through her coursework at the Confucius Institute in Peru.

Lavanya Vadehra is an undergraduate student at FLAME University, majoring in International Studies with a minor in Public Policy. She is currently doing her Summer Internship Program with ORCA as a research intern.

Lipun Kumar Sanbad, a postgraduate student of Politics and International Relations from Pondicherry University and a History and Political science graduate from University of Delhi. From the past three years working as a freelance researcher in the domain of global peace, conflict and security studies, and defence studies.

Maheshwar S Chhaunkar has completed his Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History from Sri Aurobindo College, University of Delhi. He is currently working as an IT Assistant at CENJOWS. His areas of interest include India-China relations, Indo-Pacific affairs and Asian politics.