Back to resources

Get, Set, NGO: How non-profit sector is going through remarkable change in India

Civil Society | Oct 20, 2019

The nonprofit sector is undergoing a remarkable change in India, powered by technology, young professionals and committed funders.

“What’s exciting for India is the innovation that’s happening around young entrepreneurs, how they are leveraging technology and how they are building communities that take more ownership,” she says. Rohini Nilekani, founder-chairperson of water and sanitation foundation Arghyam, says she is seeing more young, urban professionals enter the social sector, with a different approach to problem solving. “These are young, highly educated professionals who are looking to create more engagement to collectively solve a problem,” she says, while cautioning that professionalism in the social sector needs to be accompanied by passion and vision.

“Twenty years ago, a more long-term view would be taken. Then, it became a big thing and civil society organisations were spending half their time reporting impact rather than effecting social change. I think the pendulum is now swinging back,” says Nilekani.

Full piece here.

More like this

Civil Society  |  Others

Democracy’s Handmaiden: Humour. In today’s India, we need more of a funny bone in our public life

In these dark times, there is no harm in easing up with some sharp humour. Like the coronavirus, humour is infectious, but can spread much needed joy. The world over, social media is lighting up with witty memes around the pandemic. Bumbling politicians have been prime targets, and especially President Donald Trump. “Calm down, everyone,” […]
Jul 11, 2020 |

Civil Society  |  Others  |  COVID-19

Reimagining Abundance in Post COVID-19 India

As people return to life and work post the lockdown, some predictions point to a mad rush to do even more than before. Travel more, buy more, meet more people, eat out more — do more of more. The government too is expected to do more to restore economic growth and livelihoods. Much more is […]
May 22, 2020 |

Civil Society

India's NGO Sector is the most diverse in the world

Writer and philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, wife of Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani, has been deeply involved in development issues for many years now. She is the trustee of Akshara Foundation, which works to bring literacy and teaching programmes to poorer children; she co-founded Pratham Books, a non-profit publishing enterprise to produce high-quality, low-cost books for children […]
Aug 1, 2008 | Interview

COVID-19  |  Civil Society

Networks of Care: Partnerships for Relief and Support during the COVID-19 Second Wave in Karnataka

Abstract In 2020, India witnessed a national lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, heavily impacting access to food and livelihoods, particularly for the country’s most vulnerable groups. An estimated hundred million workers lost their jobs between April – May 2020 due to the imposition of the lockdown. In 2021, the second wave of COVID-19 […]
Feb 1, 2022 |