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Geopolitical risk and global affairs
Tracking the shifts in alignment, trade and conflict that change India's operating environment.
MAROOF RAZA CENTRE FOR SECURITY STUDIES
Carrying Forward a Legacy of Strategic Clarity
The Maroof Raza Centre for Security Studies is established in memory of Late Maroof Raza, to ensure the conversations he championed continue with the same rigour, the same seriousness, and the same long-term national purpose.
An IIRIS Initiative
1959
2026
1959
—
2026
IN MEMORIAM
Maroof Raza
He brought intellectual sharpness without theatrics, conviction without noise, and patriotism anchored in responsibility.
Across four decades in uniform, in classrooms, on air and in boardrooms, Maroof Raza held to a single discipline. Look at what is actually there, say it plainly, and accept the responsibility that comes with being listened to. He never mistook volume for authority, and he never allowed a difficult question to be settled by a comfortable answer.
That standard is what the Centre exists to continue. His contributions were not episodic. They were sustained, principled and irreplaceable.
ABOUT THE CENTRE
Institutionalising a Vision.
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As an Advisory Leader at IIRIS, his contribution went beyond counsel. He helped shape a way of thinking, one that approached risk with responsibility and strategy with foresight. This Centre is a step toward institutionalising that vision.
It serves as a platform for research, dialogue, and engagement on issues of geopolitical risk, national security, and emerging global challenges, building credible, enduring institutions that nurture the next generation of strategic thinkers.
OUR VISION
To build a credible and enduring platform that advances strategic thinking, strengthens risk awareness, and nurtures future leaders in security and geopolitical affairs.
LEGACY
LEGACY · A LIFE IN BRIEF
1959 — 2026
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A career shaped by service, thought & purpose.
Soldier. Scholar. Broadcaster. Strategic advisor. A voice that helped shape India's conversation on security, preparedness and risk.
FOUNDATIONS
Scholarship and discipline
His intellectual formation ran from Mayo College, Ajmer, where he was Head Boy of the 1975 batch, through St. Stephen's College, Delhi, to King's College London and the University of Cambridge.
SERVICE
Serving the nation
He served as an officer in the Grenadiers and the Mechanised Infantry, taught at the Indian Military Academy, and lectured at the NDA, the NDC and LBSNAA.
VOICE
Taking security to the public
His clarity on Times Now became a benchmark for serious security discourse. The documentary series Line of Duty entered the Limca Book of Records, and as publisher of SALUTE to the Indian Soldier he carried the stories of India's armed forces to the widest possible audience.
LEGACY
Strategy beyond the moment
As Strategic Risk Advisor and a member of the Board of Advisors at IIRIS Consulting, and through the India Risk Report on ET Now, he brought leaders from industry and government together to examine the risks shaping India's future.
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Some men fill a room when they walk in. And then some men fill the room even after they are gone. Maroof Raza was the latter.
MAROOF RAZA · A LEGACY OF SERVICE & STRATEGIC THOUGHT
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FEBRUARY
2026
IN MEMORIAM
He is deeply missed.
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CORE FOCUS AREAS
Five domains of research and dialogue
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DOMAINS
The Centre concentrates its research, convening and academic work on five areas where India's strategic conversation most needs depth.
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National security and defence strategy
Examining doctrine, capability and preparedness with the seriousness the subject requires.
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Corporate risk and strategic preparedness
Connecting national level risk to the decisions Indian businesses have to take.
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Policy dialogue and thought leadership
Convening government, industry and the strategic community around questions that outlast a news cycle.
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Youth engagement and academic collaboration
Bringing students and early career scholars into the conversation through scholarship, competition and mentorship.
FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE
Maroof Raza Annual Dialogue
A gathering for reflection & forward thinking.
A gathering designed to bring together leaders, experts and young voices in a shared space for reflection and forward thinking, in tribute to a life that defined clarity in moments of uncertainty and conviction in matters of national importance.
This is not simply an event. It is a continuation of the conversations he believed were essential.
2026 EDITION
EVENT DETAILS
VENUE
Manekshaw Centre, Zorawar Hall
DATE
To be announced
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CONTINUING HIS LEGACY
Programmes & Initiatives
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IIRIS Scholarships for PhD Scholars
The Centre invests in the next generation of strategic thinkers through the IIRIS Scholarships programme, with a flagship commitment to sponsor one PhD scholar annually, dedicated to research that carries forward the rigour and purpose that defined Maroof Raza's life's work.
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Annual Essay Writing Competition
Open to students with a serious interest in security and geopolitical affairs, the competition asks young writers to analyse, argue and articulate a position on the situations shaping the world around them. A platform to think seriously, write sharply and be heard.
Annual Essay Writing Competition ↗
WHY THIS MATTERS
In an uncertain world, clarity is not optional.
The ability to understand, anticipate and respond to risk is no longer a specialist concern. It shapes how institutions plan, how businesses invest and how a country prepares.
Maroof Raza argued consistently for deeper awareness, sharper thinking and more responsible discourse around security and strategy. This Centre, and the initiatives it carries, exist to ensure that his approach continues to inform how institutions and individuals engage with these questions.
BE PART OF THE DIALOGUE
Carrying forward a legacy that continues to guide.
The Centre welcomes scholars, practitioners, institutions and students who want to take part in shaping conversations that matter, and in carrying forward a legacy that continues to guide India's strategic community.