Governance · Strategy · Multilateral Affairs
Varun Singh
Phogat
Working at the intersection of governance, international institutions, and the communities they serve
Over a decade supporting governance processes across India’s parliamentary system, the United Nations, and European multilateral institutions — contributing to policy coordination, institutional partnerships, and the frameworks that connect South Asia and Europe. Open to collaborative engagements with international organisations, think tanks, and governments.
Learn more about my workAbout
At the Intersection of Governance,
Strategy & International Cooperation
My work sits at the intersection of governance, multilateral coordination, and the institutional architecture that shapes relationships between states. Over the course of my career, I have supported elected representatives within the Indian Parliament, contributed across the United Nations system, and worked within European humanitarian and development institutions — always learning at the point where decisions meet institutional realities, and where policy frameworks shape people’s lives.
A significant part of my experience has been within India’s parliamentary system — serving under Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and under a Member of a State Legislature, preparing briefs, coordinating with ministries as directed, and learning legislative processes at close quarters. That exposure — understanding how governments function by being part of the machinery that supports those who lead them — has shaped much of what followed: from refugee protection and resettlement work with UNHCR, to contributing to partnerships across the UN system in Europe, to studying the policy frameworks that bridge European and South Asian institutions.
Today, I am particularly drawn to the evolving relationship between Europe and India — a corridor that entered a fundamentally new phase with the landmark agreements concluded at the EU–India Summit. Understanding how institutions on both sides of that partnership operate, where implementation challenges arise, and how they might be navigated is something I care deeply about and continue to explore.
Much of how I approach this work is shaped by where I come from. I grew up in a family with deep roots in public service — from my great-grandfather, a decorated freedom fighter and revolutionary in the struggle for India’s independence, to my grandfather’s service in the Indian Army and his decades of public life — as panchayati across villages in Haryana and as a leader within the All India Farmers’ Association, where he brought the concerns of India’s agricultural communities directly before successive Prime Ministers — to my father’s career building national infrastructure for the Indian government, and his continued role advising and supporting elected representatives within our own family’s tradition of public service. That background gave me an early conviction that institutions matter most when they serve the people closest to them — and that governance, done well, is a form of service.
Based in
Europe · Available internationally
Focus Areas
Governance Strategy, EU–India Relations, Multilateral Coordination, Policy Research & Analysis, Institutional Design, Federalism & Territorial Governance
Languages
Social Impact
Founder, The Hooria Foundation — advancing gender equality and community development in South Asia
Experience
A Career Across Institutions
& Continents
Parliamentary & Governance
Within India’s parliamentary system, I served under Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) and under a Member of a State Legislature. Over the course of those years, I prepared policy briefs and analytical notes for parliamentary debates, supported the amendment process for national legislation including the Citizen Client Charter, and coordinated with government ministries, foreign embassies, and civil-society organisations as directed. I was involved in engagement with All Party Parliamentary Groups and in press and media work — and through it all, gained a close understanding of how India’s democratic institutions function, and where the distance between policy intention and institutional delivery is greatest.
Multilateral & UN System
Within the United Nations system, my work has touched refugee protection, partnerships, peacebuilding, and policy coordination. As part of UNHCR’s Durable Solutions Unit, I supported eligibility assessments and prepared analytical briefs under senior leadership, coordinating with government ministries and embassies on protection and resettlement matters as required. In broader UN partnership roles, I contributed to policy briefs, donor-facing documentation, and frameworks for social inclusion and youth development programmes — working within UN agencies and alongside municipal partners, including programme work spanning Spain and Lebanon. More recently, I have been involved in the “Building Local Capacities for Peace” initiative, contributing to training on peacebuilding and conflict analysis with the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute.
Humanitarian & Field Coordination
With Cruz Roja Española (Red Cross Spain), I supported social integration programmes for vulnerable communities and contributed to the COVID-19 emergency humanitarian response — assisting with evidence-based analysis and coordination across municipal authorities and social services. This field-level experience reinforced a conviction that effective governance is ultimately measured by its reach into the communities it serves.
Strategic Projects & International Events
As part of the Chairman’s Secretariat for the Commonwealth Games, I supported cross-functional coordination across 34 functional areas for a multi-nation sporting event involving over 6,000 athletes from 71 countries. I assisted with media relations under high-profile scrutiny and continued with subsequent delegations, contributing to coordination and knowledge transfer — an experience that taught me a great deal about working within complex institutional settings under pressure.
Advisory
Strategic Advisory
& Consultancy
Drawing on over a decade of experience within parliamentary systems, UN agencies, and European multilateral institutions, I offer support to international organisations, think tanks, governments, and political actors seeking to navigate complex governance and institutional landscapes — particularly where European and South Asian systems intersect. My approach draws on practical institutional exposure combined with research-grounded analysis.
Governance & Institutional Strategy
Support on institutional design, legislative capacity building, and government engagement for international organisations, development agencies, and governments in democratic transition. My background includes serving under elected representatives within the Indian Parliament — supporting Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and a State Legislature, coordinating with ministries as directed, and contributing to the amendment process for national legislation — alongside experience within the UN system. Particularly relevant for organisations working on parliamentary strengthening, centre-state coordination, and governance reform in developing democracies.
EU–India Strategic Advisory
The recent EU–India agreements — the Free Trade Agreement, the Security and Defence Partnership, the Comprehensive Mobility Framework, and the “Towards 2030” Strategic Agenda — have opened a fundamentally new chapter in the relationship between Europe and India. I support organisations, businesses, and government agencies navigating this evolving corridor, drawing on experience within both Indian governmental and European institutional settings. From institutional mapping to stakeholder engagement on both sides, Having worked within both systems, I hope to offer some understanding of not just what the agreements say, but how the institutions behind them operate.
Policy Analysis & Strategic Thinking
Analytical briefs, policy papers, and strategic assessments for think tanks, international organisations, and government bodies. My academic training in comparative federalism and democratic governance at Universitat Pompeu Fabra — where my thesis on asymmetric federalism in India proved predictive of a major constitutional decision — informs an approach grounded in evidence and careful institutional analysis. Areas I follow closely include EU–India strategic partnership implementation, governance reform in federal systems, electoral system design and conflict, and migration and mobility policy.
Thinking & Writing
Strategic Perspectives &
Academic Work
Strategic Focus · EU–India Relations
Implementing the EU–India Strategic Partnership After the 2026 Breakthrough
The EU–India Summit produced the most ambitious set of agreements in the partnership’s history: a Free Trade Agreement covering twenty chapters and nearly two billion people, the first-ever Security and Defence Partnership, a Comprehensive Mobility Framework, and a “Towards 2030” Joint Strategic Agenda. I am particularly interested in the political, institutional, and domestic obstacles to effective implementation — and how European and Indian policymakers can anticipate and manage them before they stall progress. Particular attention is given to the role of individual EU Member States in translating EU-level agreements into national implementation, given that key areas such as mobility and defence procurement remain under national competence.
Master’s Thesis · Federalism & Territorial Governance
Asymmetric Federalism and the Question of Kashmir: A Comparative Study of Quebec and Jammu & Kashmir
A comparative analysis of asymmetric federalism in Canada (Quebec) and India (Jammu & Kashmir), examining how federal arrangements shape minority accommodation, territorial autonomy, and national integration. The thesis concluded in favour of federal symmetrisation — a position that gained unexpected salience when the Indian government abrogated Article 370 shortly after the thesis was completed.
Academic Paper · Nationalism & Identity Politics
Kashmiri Nationalism — A Subset of Indian Nationalism?
An application of competing nationalism theories — Gellner’s modernism, Hobsbawm’s instrumentalism, and Smith’s ethno-symbolism — to the Kashmir question. The paper argues that Kashmiri nationalism represents a distinct form of ethnic nationalism with its own historical, religious, and cultural foundations, with implications for institutional design and minority accommodation in federal democracies.
Academic Paper · Electoral Systems & Institutional Design
Transition to Democracy: The Impact of Electoral Systems on Conflict
A quantitative analysis across 67 transitioning democracies examining whether the choice of electoral system affects levels of political violence during and after democratic transition. The finding underscores the importance of broader institutional ecology — judiciary independence, federalism, civil-military relations — in shaping democratic stability.
Perspectives
Reflections on Governance,
Strategy & Institutional Change
Governance is not merely about institutions — it is about the relationship between those institutions and the people they exist to serve. These reflections draw from experience working within parliamentary systems, multilateral organisations, and humanitarian contexts.
EU–India Relations
From Agreement to Impact: Why the Real Test of the EU–India Partnership Begins Now
The 2026 EU–India summit delivered what two decades of negotiation could not — a Free Trade Agreement, a Security and Defence Partnership, and a Mobility Framework, all concluded in a single meeting. But history shows that ambitious international agreements falter not at the signing table but in the corridors of implementation. The question for both Brussels and Delhi is no longer whether they can agree, but whether their institutions can deliver on what they have promised.
Governance & Institutions
From Parliament to the UN: What Governance Looks Like Up Close
Having worked within both national parliamentary systems and international organisations, the gap between policy intention and institutional reality is a constant theme. Understanding that gap — why a cabinet decision in Delhi or a directive from Brussels loses momentum by the time it reaches the people it was designed to help — is the first step toward bridging it.
Federalism & Territorial Governance
When Asymmetry Fails: Lessons from Quebec and Kashmir for Federal Design
Asymmetric federalism is often presented as the answer to minority accommodation within diverse states. But when does asymmetry entrench division rather than resolve it? Drawing from comparative research on Canada and India, these reflections examine the conditions under which federal symmetrisation may better serve national integration and democratic governance.
Migration & Protection
Beyond Numbers: The Human Dimension of Resettlement Casework
Resettlement is measured in targets and statistics, but behind every case file is a family navigating displacement, uncertainty, and the hope for a durable solution. Working within the UNHCR system offered a window into how institutional processes intersect with individual lives — and where they can do better.
Peacebuilding & Local Governance
Local Governance, Global Frameworks: Bridging the Distance
International development frameworks are only as effective as their implementation at the municipal and community level. Working with local authorities and contributing to peace initiatives across different contexts has reinforced that the distance between global ambition and local reality is where governance either proves its worth or reveals its limits.
Education
Academic Foundation
Master’s in Political Science
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
Nationalism, Federalism, Electoral Systems, Comparative Political Economy, Qualitative Research Methods, Political Theory
MBA, International Business
Lancaster University, England
Strategic Management, Business Economics, Leading Change, International Business, Global Society & Responsible Management
BSc (Hons) Information Systems
Brunel University of London
Certificate Programmes
WHU Otto Beisheim (Germany) · University of Toronto (Canada) · IIFT (India)
Contact
Let’s Connect
I welcome conversations about governance, EU–India relations, multilateral cooperation, and opportunities to contribute. Whether you represent an international organisation, a think tank, a government, or a political institution — I would be glad to hear from you.
unvsp@icloud.com