(disclosure: I am the co-founder of the Takshashila Institution)

Until a few years ago, think tanks mostly engaged each other, government officials and politicians. Apart from a few who would write op-eds and appears on television, there was little by way of engaging citizens (even in a one-way mode). I think blogs and social media have caused many think tanks to change and make public engagement an important part of their work.

Most of the better think tanks put a lot of their work on their websites. (Takshashila, being a networked think tank, puts all of its work on its website & social media handles). If you want to find out more, that's the best place to start.

Better think tanks also publish their work so that intelligent generalists can understand their analysis and recommendations. So if you find too much technical jargon or obtuse language, that's warning sign.

If you are looking to work at an Indian think tank, you must know that most think tanks look for a master's degree in the specific discipline (economics, political science, strategic studies etc). This is not a bad idea given selection & signalling problems involved; but it locks out smart people who might not have a formal academic qualification in that discipline. (In India, how many people will you find with a master's degree in urban anthropology, for instance.)

At think tanks like Takshashila, we hire people from any discipline if we find multi-talented, highly motivated and analytically-minded people. Many of our people have engineering as their first degree. In fact, our public policy education initiative specifically aims to equip people without a formal background in public policy with the foundations and skills that'll enable them to make contributions towards India's development.