Guru Arjan Dev (GAD) Institute of Development Studies is a centre for advanced research and training in multi disciplinary areas as diverse as Agriculture and rural development; social change and social structure; environment and resource economics; globalization and trade, industry, labour and welfare; macro economics issues and models; population and development and health policy research.

The institute is being runs under the aegis of Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies Society, Amritsar which is a registered national scientific and educational society under Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1860, Chandigarh in July 2009 vide Registration No. 77 of 2009-2010. The society was collectively conceived by a group of like-minded peoples drawn from different disciplines and backgrounds to promote research, publication, development, training and similar creative activities.

Though the institute is at the embryonic stage, it has got membership into various world organizations, namely, UN Global Compact; Global Water Partnership; Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development; Forum: Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development, Economic and social (ECOSOC) of UN, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and so on.