This post was originally published on The Economic Times
India is a country of unparalleled size, with 1.46 billion people spread across diverse geographies, cultures, and stages of development. In such a vast and varied nation, a single organisation, government, philanthropy, or business cannot possibly make a significant lasting difference all by itself. Being the chairman of a large business group with strong national development roots, I’m convinced that philanthropy needs to be hand-in-hand with the government to trigger a change.
Bridging reach with capacity
Philanthropic initiatives often face limitations in reach, especially when addressing remote or underserved areas. Conversely, the government possesses the infrastructure and public systems that span the length and breadth of the nation.
Bridge span’s study highlights this synergy: “Only an institution like the government can make access to remote villages, as well as districts and states, available to roll out a standardised programme at scale.” When philanthropic institutions work with government departments, they can amplify interventions across sectors, including education and healthcare, compared to working separately.
Growing scale through joint funds
In the past 15 years, India has witnessed the emergence of influential philanthropic collaboratives, making a shift from isolated giving to structured multi-stakeholder models. Collaborative funds make it possible to align with government agendas, with shared visions
— Read the rest of this post, which was originally published on The Economic Times.
