Research Fellow

ABOUT VIDHI

Vidhi is an independent think-tank doing legal research to make better laws and improve governance for the public good. Vidhi is committed to producing legal research of the highest standard with the aim of informing public debate and contributing to improved governance. Vidhi works with Ministries of the Government of India and State Governments, as well as other public institutions, providing research and drafting support at various stages of law-making. Vidhi also conducts and freely disseminates independent research in areas of legal reform which it believes is critical to India’s future.

Vidhi is an equal opportunity employer and neither practices, nor tolerates any kind of discriminatory behaviour.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Vidhi is looking to hire a Research Fellow for its research work on legal and policy issues emerging from leveraging technology for the public good. This is done through original and independent pieces of research and engagements with key stakeholders (including the government) on critical areas of reform in the tech policy space. Vidhi’s work in the law and technology space covers issues ranging from privacy, data governance, artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and governance, online safety, platform regulation, general information technology governance, fintech regulation and also other areas of law necessary to design legal reforms for the digital economy. The expected output from the work typically involves reports, policies, draft laws, rules and regulations. Vidhi’s work in the law and technology space can be accessed from its website.

The Research Fellow will be primarily responsible for the following:

• Undertake high quality research on Indian and international legal and policy frameworks.
• Provide research and legislative drafting assistance for engagements in critical areas of tech policy reform.
• Prepare quality reports, research notes, presentations, and such other material necessary for implementation and dissemination (as may be applicable) of Vidhi’s work.
• Coordinate and attend meetings with government officials, academics, researchers, and other stakeholders for discussing and presenting Vidhi’s research work.
• Organise and attend consultations with key stakeholders for informing and disseminating Vidhi’s research.
• Develop, and execute independent research projects.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Essential Requirements

• An undergraduate and/or postgraduate degree in law
• At least 1-2 years of demonstrable work experience (a master’s degree will be counted as one year of work experience)
• Excellent research and writing skills
• Excellent communication skills

Preferable Requirements (Research Fellow)

• Prior demonstrable work experience in the domain of law and technology or public policy.

LOCATION AND SALARY

• This is a full-time position based out of New Delhi.
• The Research Fellow will be engaged in this position for a duration of one year, and renewal shall be subject to performance.
• Remuneration will be commensurate to the level of skills and experience.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should apply through our online portal and must submit following documents merged in one document under the head of ‘Upload Resume’:

• Latest Curriculum Vitae (CV) in not more than two A4 pages.
• Any piece of published or unpublished original writing as a sample, of not more than 500-700 words on an issue relevant to tech policy showcasing the candidate’s legal research and analysis skillset. Any submission exceeding the prescribed word count will not be considered.
• A brief statement of motivation in applying for the position, in not more than 500 words.
• Names and contact details of two professional referees who may be contacted for references.

The deadline to submit applications is 10 August 2025.

Queries may be sent only through e-mail titled ‘Applied Law & Technology Research: Application for Research Fellow’ addressed to careers@vidhilegalpolicy.in. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.