Job Summary
India stands at a critical juncture: it must achieve high-quality development for a massive population while navigating a volatile global economy and a rapidly changing climate. This challenge requires action beyond mere incremental shifts in current growth models. We need to evaluate the very foundational choices of our economy—from how we settle our cities and value our labour to how we manage our collective resources.
The metrics a system prioritizes dictate its behavior. For decades, a singular focus on conventional output as a primary KPI has often obscured the detrimental costs to environmental health, social cohesion, and individual dignity. To pave the way for a "Developed India by 2047," our economic systems must adopt more holistic, indigenous indicators that account for human well-being, community agency, and ecological regeneration.
While alternative paradigms—ranging from decentralized "Rurban" clusters to community-led resource management—offer promising pathways,



they often lack the rigorous data and "toolified" frameworks necessary for large-scale adoption. There is an urgent need to build a robust evidence base that deconstructs mainstream narratives and demonstrates the viability of these alternatives to the nation's decision-makers.
The Role
CEEW seeks to hire a suitable candidate for the Programme Lead position to anchor this transition. We are looking for a strategic, systems-oriented changemaker who can navigate the space between deep-seated traditional resilience and up-to-date policy design, connecting macro-level thinking with implementation on the ground. The successful applicant will contribute to a pioneering workstream that aims to shift the national discourse from "growth at any cost" to a model of prosperity that is equitable, sustainable, and rooted in India's own knowledge systems and context.
The Programme Lead will work towards meeting the team’s objective of enabling concerted action by system leaders through data-driven e

📌 Programme Lead – Alternative pathways to development (New Delhi)
🏢 Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)
📍 New Delhi