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As the Smitu Kothari Fellowship marks its 9th anniversary, the Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) is pleased to invite applications for the 2026 Fellowship. Since its inception in 2018, the fellowship has encouraged young writers, researchers, and storytellers to critically examine the world of development finance, looking beyond the rhetoric of lending and "development" to uncover its social, political, and economic implications.

Details of the Fellowship

• Eligibility: The fellowship is open to Indian citizens below the age of 40
• Applications are welcome from writers working in English as well as other Indian languages
• Women, Dalits, Muslims, disadvantaged communities and independent writers/researchers writing in regional languages are encouraged to apply
• Last Date to Apply:25 July 2026
• Fellowship grant: ₹20,000
• Duration: 2 months

This year's fellowship turns its focus to India's cities - spaces where finance increasingly shapes everyday life, often in ways that deepen inequality, transform public spaces, and exclude vulnerable communities. The two-month fellowship, beginning in August 2026, invites fellows to produce a well-researched investigative article, photo essay, short documentary, or other multimedia story exploring the relationship between finance and urban life.

About the Theme

Overarching Theme: Cities, Finance & the People

Fellows are encouraged to examine cities through a financial and economic lens. Suggested themes include, but are not limited to:

1. Urban Finance & Budgets: Municipal finance, city budgets, and fiscal priorities.

2. Housing & Displacement: Land, finance, housing rights, and urban evictions.

3. Urban Commons & Inclusive Cities: Ownership, governance, and access to public resources.

4. Informal Economy: Financial exclusion, precarious livelihoods, and urban labour.

5. Climate, Risk & Urban Inequality: Who bears the financial and social costs of climate change in cities?

6. The Digital City: Technology, surveillance, fintech, and urban governance.

7. Infrastructure Failures & Accountability: Why urban infrastructure fails despite significant public investment.

8. Urban Governance & the Right to the City: Democracy, participation, and accountability in city governance.

CFA reserves the right not to award fellowships if the applications do not meet a minimum standard.

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