Smita Purushottam joined the Institute of Defence Studies & Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, on May 31, 2010 as Senior Fellow. She had previously served as Joint Secretary at the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Joint Secretary in the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters in the Ministry of Defence; Director/Under Secretary (East Europe/Soviet Union) and SAARC, and Under Secretary (Bhutan) in MEA. She served in India’s missions abroad as Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India in Berlin, Minister (Political) at the High Commission of India, London, Counsellor for economic and commercial affairs at the Indian Embassy in Beijing and at the Embassy in Brussels, and language-trainee cum information secretary at the Embassy of India, Moscow.

She spent a year as Fellow at Harvard where she prepared a paper “Can India Overtake China?” (2001), in which she compared the two economies and their respective reform experiences; analysed the ongoing reforms in the Indian economy focusing on the telecom sector, aviation, privatization attempts and IT, and recommended building a strong manufacturing sector like China had. She has been appointed Ambassador to Venezuela.

Ms. Purushottam earned a Master’s degree (1st class) in History from Delhi University in 1979. She taught History briefly at Jesus & Mary College, Delhi University. She won a Fellowship for a PhD in European History at Cornell University in the same year that she qualified for the Indian Foreign Service (1980), which she joined. She speaks Russian and limited French. At IDSA she is focusing on the Chinese innovation eco-system and on Eurasia.

Publications

• Making India a High-tech Defence Economy –Introduction (PowerPoint Presentation), 16 December 2011
• Report of the Forum on Hi-Tech Defence Innovation, 14th July 2011
• “Energy diplomacy and the making of Russia”, Business Standard, October 02, 2011; http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/smita-purushottam-energy-dip...
• Interview, Chanakya, Civil Services Today, June 2011
• “An Indo Russian strategic partnership for the 21st century”, SPs Military Yearbook 2011-12.
• “It's time for a National Technology Policy”, Business Standard, July 31, 2011.
• “Independence Day Special 2011 Edition - India and Germany in Focus”, Krest Publications, New Delhi, July 25, 2011.
• Will Defence Industrialization Help The Technological Upgrade Of The Indian Economy?, Global Policy Journal, March 24, 2011
• Russia between East and West: An insightful perspective from New Delhi, CERENE, March 17, 2011
• China Woos Europe: Next moves on the Eurasian Chessboard, Global Policy Journal, February 14, 2011
• Визит президента Медведева в Индию: новые направления российско-индийского партнерства в 21-м веке
• Lessons from China on going high-tech,Business Standard, November 28, 2010
• Russia, China and the 'reset' with the West, Business Standard, November 7, 2010
• "China goes hi-tech, IPR infringements and all", Business Standard, October 03, 2010
• “Can India Succeed In Overcoming The Chinese Colossus?” Financial Express, July 2002
• “Copycats don’t Catch Mice,” Financial Express, November 2002.
• “Chinese Economic Reforms and their Relevance to India,” in Muchkund Dubey, ed., South Asia and its Neighbours (1998).
• “Can India Overtake China?” Harvard University, 2001.

Publications at IDSA