The Foundation has endowed an annual New India Lecture, delivered by a distinguished scholar or writer. Held every year in a different city, the lecture is held in partnership with a reputed public institution in that city.

The core activity of the New India Foundation is the New India Fellowships, awarded to scholars and writers working on different aspects of the history of independent India. From a large pool of several hundred applications, about 15-20 are shortlisted to meet with the jury and about 5-10 fellowships are awarded.

The New India Foundation announces an annual Book Prize titled “Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize” for the best non-fiction book on modern / contemporary India. There is no limitation as to genre—the book can be a work of history, biography, political commentary, travel, memoir, etc.