Video- An insight into FTI activities

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Freedom Team of India, we extend a warm welcome to you.

FTI is a not-for-profit trust created on 1 July 2009. Its primary objective is to act as a forum for policy, strategy, and leadership development to promote the freedoms of the great peoples of India.  

Members of FTI are committed to contest elections in India in due course,  with appropriate preparation. They hope to offer their leadership to India along with a set of world-best policies, thus seeking to directly contribute to India’s governance. It may be noted that FTI is NOT a political party. Such electoral activity, when it occurs, will be carried out separately and not under FTI’s banner.

Since its inception, like-minded Indians have been keenly joining FTI as equal citizens and member of this Team, to participate as citizens in the affairs of their country. Among the many things they have been doing is to (a) agree FTI’s strategies and (b) policies. A flavour of the vast range of activities currently underway can be obtained by looking at the FTI tasks spreadsheet.

In addition, FTI’s trust deed allows FTI to take on additional functions. Adharshila is an one such function, being an extension activity to develop citizenship in India. It is currently being designed and embedded, to be launched in the coming months.

The concept of FTI was proposed in mid-2006 on the internet in the manuscript of the 2008 book, Breaking Free of Nehru. FTI was then  launched as a mailing list on 23 December 2007, about a year prior to the book’s publication. The idea caught on after Shantanu Bhagwat, an initial (hence founding) member, published a note on the concept on his blog in January 2008. This blog post received significant interest.

in 2009 FTI’s initial members decided to formalise this effort and take it forward as a major national platform for leadership development. Accordingly, FTI was converted into a legal entity, a Trust in July 2009 (its rules including a Code of Conduct are provided here:

  FTI Rules version 1.0 (266.0 KiB, 161 hits - June 28, 2009 4:47 pm)

FTI is currently focused on finding leaders who believe in policies that promote freedom and good governance  To join the FTI Trust as full members with voting rights, applicants must undergo a 4-stage process.

1. The first step is a self-declaration which is found on the internet.
2. The second step is a brief ‘vetting’ by an FTI member who has been allotted this task.
3. The third step is for new members (called Initial Members) to spend at least three months watching and participating on the FTI Google Group.
4. The fourth step is for Initial Members to formally apply for full membership. Before they do so, they are required to find at least 5 supporters (votes) from existing members and fill out a form and pay an annual fee (Rs.2000 per annum).

Some of the Initial Members and observers of FTI are listed here. In the coming months, only names of full members of the FTI trust will be listed on this website. You can get in touch with some of our members (contact details provided here) over phone or email.

a) Read FTI’s Brochure .

b) Read the FAQs.

c) Read FTI’s strategy.

d) Read the discussions on Shantanu’s blog.

e) Ask questions here.

f) Video- An insight into FTI activities

Please click here for current opportunities to support FTI. In the coming months, FTI will formalise a non-voting membership category called Freedom Partner.

We look forward to your participation in, and support of, FTI’s activities.

Should you have any question, please don’t hesitate to write to the Team at info AT freedomteam DOT in.

With kind regards,

L.K. Kandpal (Secretary) and Ajay Anand (Treasurer)

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Freedom Team of India

 “Anand Villa” 17 RH, Scheme 54, Indore 452010