‘IFP’s priorities at the moment are built around preservation of our collections’

The French Institute of Pondicherry, or IFP, is a research institution examining India through several connected fields. Its work covers Indology, ecology, social sciences and geomatics. This matters because the institute preserves knowledge while studying cultural, environmental and social change.

Its Indology researchers study palm-leaf manuscripts and Shaivism. Its ecology department investigates South Indian forests. Social scientists and geomatics researchers also join shared projects, including work on biodiversity and India’s energy transition. The institute’s collections support research and help protect cultural heritage.

IFP is marking its 70th anniversary with programmes from October 22 to 28. The celebrations include an exhibition, book launch, documentary screening and public discussions. Its future priorities include preserving its collections, strengthening collaborations and helping younger generations understand research and scientific careers.

IFP is prioritising preservation of the scientific collections it has built over 70 years. These include palm-leaf manuscripts and a major photo collection. Protecting them matters because they hold records of India’s intellectual, cultural and historical past, while also supporting present-day research.

The palm-leaf manuscripts belong to an Indology collection acknowledged by UNESCO. The photo collection has another practical role: staff use its expertise to help identify and trace antiquities. That capability contributed to the restitution of a dancing Shiva idol from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington to the Indian government.

IFP has modernised both collections and keeps them in a protected environment. Director Renaud Colson says the immediate challenge is to save and maintain what exists. This preservation work is intended to help younger generations construct the future from reliable records.

The French Institute of Pondicherry was founded 70 years ago and is marking the anniversary with a week-long programme. Its broad research portfolio covers Indology, ecology, social sciences and geomatics. This range allows the institute to study culture, nature, society and geographic information together.

Indology researchers work on palm-leaf manuscripts and Shaivism. Ecology researchers have conducted long-lasting studies of South Indian forests. In interdisciplinary projects, social scientists, ecologists and geomatics specialists examine the evolution of biodiversity and India’s energy transition. Each department keeps its own agenda, but they also work across boundaries.

The anniversary celebrations run from October 22 to 28 under the theme “70 Years of Shared Knowledge.” They include an exhibition, book launch, documentary screening and public discussions. The institute also uses the occasion to introduce thousands of students to its history and possible scientific careers.

The institute’s earliest major contribution was a profound investigation of the Shaiva Agamas and Shaivism. Founder Jean Filliozat had a strong interest in this subject, making it a foundation for IFP’s research identity. The work matters because it established a sustained scholarly focus on important religious and textual traditions.

That investigation did not end with the institute’s early years. IFP’s Indology Department continues studying palm-leaf manuscripts, including a collection acknowledged by UNESCO. The institute also developed research in ecology, social sciences and geomatics, while maintaining strong collaborations with Indian institutions.

Today, the original textual and religious research forms one part of a much broader research legacy. Interdisciplinary projects address biodiversity and energy transition, while the photo collection supports efforts against antiquities trafficking. Preservation now links the institute’s past scholarship with future research by younger generations.

IFP’s manuscripts, photographs and other records are more than stored objects. They are evidence for studying India’s intellectual, cultural and environmental history. If they deteriorate or disappear, researchers and younger generations would have fewer reliable sources for understanding the past and informing future work.

The article shows why these records matter. The palm-leaf manuscripts support Indology, while photographs helped identify a dancing Shiva idol returned from the Smithsonian Museum. IFP’s broader research also includes long-term studies of South Indian forests, making preservation important for environmental knowledge as well as cultural history.

The institute has modernised its palm-leaf and photo collections and keeps them in a protected environment. Director Renaud Colson identifies preservation as IFP’s immediate priority. Maintaining these records can support research, heritage recovery and informed policymaking on the challenges ahead.

The institute is part of a network fighting the trafficking of antiquities. Its role combines specialised collection knowledge with cooperation among international and Indian police departments and Indian institutions. This matters because identifying an object’s history and connecting it to the right authorities can support its recovery and restitution.

A recent example involves a dancing Shiva idol held by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. Staff working with IFP’s photo collection used their expertise in the recovery process. The idol was eventually returned to the Indian government. The article presents this restitution as a result of collaboration and institutional competence.

IFP’s preservation work therefore serves more than academic research. Keeping photographs and related records accessible helps investigators examine cultural objects and establish evidence. Continued cooperation can strengthen efforts to protect collections and return antiquities, while showing students how research can have practical public value.

Interdisciplinary research combines methods and knowledge from different academic fields. At IFP, departments keep their own research agendas but also join shared projects. This matters because environmental and social problems rarely fit neatly inside one discipline. Studying them together can reveal connections that a single field might miss.

The institute gives two examples: the evolution of biodiversity and the energy transition in India. Ecology can examine environmental change, social sciences can study people and institutions, and geomatics can contribute geographic analysis. Together, these perspectives create a fuller way to investigate how places, communities and ecosystems change.

This approach also supports policymaking. IFP’s director says science and academics can help policymakers anticipate environmental challenges, especially climate change. Interdisciplinary projects can connect evidence about nature, society and space, helping researchers and decision-makers plan responses to India’s ecological and energy pressures.