The philanthropic landscape has grown during the past 10 years that we have produced the India Philanthropy Report. Today, the development ecosystem is ripe with opportunity, and that has accelerated our development agenda. India still faces several complex challenges, however, such as easing inequalities and addressing its most vulnerable populations and geographies. This year, our report urges philanthropy to focus on vulnerability to bridge India’s development gaps.

Systemic inequities and an aggregation of problems keep India’s most vulnerable populations outside of mainstream development, so the India Philanthropy Report 2020 advocates for investments in solutions that adopt a systems approach rather than a linear approach.

Explore the report's data and key takeaways

The India Philanthropy Report 2020, presented by Bain and Dasra, focuses on the need and opportunity to invest in India’s most vulnerable, and showcases relevant case studies of solutions that could inspire such action.

Linear solutions, which are more targeted and have a singular focus, are best suited for addressing a discrete issue. Systems solutions, on the other hand, focus on stakeholder groups, multiple disciplines and integrating across layers of the problem to bring more holistic and lasting change to complex and deep-rooted issues such as vulnerability.

Presently, India has immense need and thus huge opportunities to encourage philanthropy to focus on the nation’s most vulnerable populations by building upon the strong support ecosystem and the range of systems solutions already implemented. Philanthropy must make an urgent move in this direction to accelerate India’s progress toward its 2030 mission of ensuring that development is sustainable for all and inclusive of everyone.

Arpan Sheth and Dinkar Ayilavarapu are partners with Bain & Company. Deval Sanghavi is the co-founder of Dasra. Sonvi Khanna is the manager of knowledge creation and dissemination at Dasra.