The Power of Now: Making the Case for Giving to India

The last decade for India has been one defined by remarkable growth; it has moved from being the twelfth largest economy in the world in 2007 to the seventh-largest today. In social development as well, India has made significant strides over the last decade. The incidence of multidimensional poverty has almost halved between 2006 and 2016; the maternal mortality rate has reduced by 21%, between 2007 and 2013; and infant deaths have reduced by 26% between 2012 and 2018.2,3,4 Much of this progress has been achieved by the collective effort of state and central government bodies, an engaged civil society, and a vibrant nonprofit ecosystem.Unfortunately, this growth story has not been all-encompassing or entirely inclusive. It has left behind critically vulnerable populations that lack access to education, employment, and healthcare and remain disproportionately disadvantaged with regards to basic human needs.* Around 16 million girls between age 15-19 become mothers every year* 54% of girls aged 18-19 years have not completed Grade 10* More than 50% of all maternal deaths in the country occur within tribal communities* Millions of people still lack access to basic sanitation facilitiesThe seriousness, scale and complexity of these challenges are quickly outpacing the ability of our government to singlehandedly address them and are directly hindering our ability to accelerate human development at the required pace. With an annual gap of at least USD 60 billion for India to achieve just five of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the need for the private sector to supplement the government's effort in accelerating India's development, both financially and non-financially, is more pronounced than ever before.The good news is that now more than ever, the Indian social sector is well equipped and positioned to receive such support and address critical gaps on an unprecedented scale. With large-scale collaboration among multiple stakeholders, an increasingly transparent and professional philanthropy ecosystem, and disruptive models that are re-engineering the way we design and deliver societal solutions at scale, the opportunity to drive on-ground impact in India through collaborative, trustworthy, and innovative means is greater than ever before