Ford Foundation moves out of New Delhi office after over six decades

The Ford Foundation has moved out of its long-held office at Delhi’s Lodhi Estate after more than six decades. Now, the Centre has allotted the premises to two India-led international initiatives, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

The Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) initiated eviction proceedings against the foundation in 2025 after its lease for the property at 55, Lodhi Estate ended. The foundation subsequently vacated the premises in February this year and updated its office address to Level 8, DLF Centre, Sansad Marg, in March, the Indian Express report added.

The Directorate of Estates under MoHUA has now allotted the ground and first floors of the former Ford Foundation office to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA).

The report cited officials saying that no “forceful eviction” was carried out as the foundation had already vacated the premises.

Brief history of the building

The Lodhi Estate building was designed by American architect Joseph Stein, who also designed the India Habitat Centre and India International Centre. The complex has housed the Ford Foundation since the 1960s, while parts of the premises continue to be occupied by the United Nations and its agencies.

What is IBCA and GBA?

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 as a multi-country and multi-agency coalition focused on the conservation of the world’s seven big-cat species. The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) was also launched by PM Modi in 2023, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, to promote cooperation on biofuels.

The two organisations currently operate from separate premises in Delhi. The IBCA is functioning from a house in Shanti Niketan, while the GBA has its office at Sanrakshan Bhawan in Bhikaji Cama Place.

Ford Foundation’s India presence

The Ford Foundation established its New Delhi office in 1952 at the invitation of the Government of India. Over the decades, it supported several development programmes and institutions, including agriculture, education and research initiatives.

According to the foundation, it provided early support to the Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata, as well as research at IIT Kharagpur. It also supported the Indian Institute of Public Administration and Punjab Agricultural University.