New Delhi, August 19, 2026: Folks House, the strategic advisory and wealth service platform within the wider Folks Ecosystem, today announced its evolution into an independent multidisciplinary think tank focused on understanding the economic, industrial, technological and institutional forces shaping India’s next decade.
The House is being established at a time when India’s economic structure is undergoing a significant transformation, with growth increasingly shaped by advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure, technology-intensive industries, energy transition, intellectual property, new forms of capital and globally integrated supply chains. According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, medium- and high-technology activities now account for 46.3% of India’s total manufacturing value added, reflecting the growing importance of technology-led industrial growth.
India’s intellectual property ecosystem is also expanding rapidly. WIPO data shows that patent applications filed worldwide by India-based applicants increased by 19.1% in 2024, marking the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth. Patent applications filed in India increased 30.2% to 1,43,729 in FY2025-26. These developments point to a broader shift in value creation, increasingly driven by the intersection of technology, intellectual property, infrastructure, capital and institutional capability.
Folks House is built around a central question: “Where is value going next?” It brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, researchers, technologists and other experts to identify structural shifts across sectors and translate those insights into strategic, institutional and, where appropriate, commercial action. From mobility and energy to AI and infrastructure, these intersections are increasingly shaping value creation. The IEA estimates that data-centre electricity consumption could nearly double from 485 TWh in 2025 to around 950 TWh by 2030.
Nikhil Anand Khurana, Founder, Folks Ecosystem, said, “We are not creating Folks House simply to publish reports. We are creating a platform to develop conviction around where India’s economy is headed and what those shifts could mean for businesses, investors and institutions. The most important opportunities are no longer confined to a single sector. They are emerging where capital, technology, industry, policy and intellectual property intersect. Our ambition is to build an institution that combines deep thinking with real-world context and helps shape the conversations that will define India’s next economy.”
Folks House will develop research and institutional insights across Future Industries & Advanced Manufacturing; Technology, AI & Deep Tech; Capital & New Asset Classes; Energy, Climate & Transition Infrastructure; Intellectual Property & Innovation; Public Policy, Regulation & Institutions; Family Wealth & Institutional Capital; Culture, Art & Heritage; and Special Situations & Emerging Opportunities. Its output will include research papers, thematic studies, sector intelligence, policy and capital perspectives, knowledge partnerships and closed-door institutional dialogues.
At the heart of Folks House is its philosophy, “Where Capital Meets Craft.” This brings together judgement, research, relationships, sector understanding, legal and institutional intelligence, cultural understanding and strategic thinking to develop a deeper view of how value is created and sustained.
Its connection with the wider Folks Ecosystem will allow ideas to be tested against businesses, markets, policy developments and emerging technologies, creating a feedback loop between research, capital, enterprise and institutional experience. This approach comes as India’s capital and infrastructure landscape expands, with central government capital expenditure rising 92% between FY2019 and FY2022, from ₹3.07 lakh crore to ₹5.92 lakh crore, while installed data-centre capacity has reached approximately 1,280 MW.
Reflecting on this Smriti Papreja, Partner, Folks House, said, “India’s next phase of growth will be shaped by intersections that are often difficult to understand through a single-sector lens. Technology, capital, policy, intellectual property and culture are increasingly influencing one another. Folks House is an opportunity to study these connections more closely, bring diverse expertise into the same conversation and develop perspectives grounded in both research and real-world context.”
Over the long term, Folks House aims to evolve into an Indian institution for independent thinking, strategic intelligence and multidisciplinary research, helping businesses, investors and institutions understand what comes next, why it happens and where new forms of value are being created.
