Philanthropists must embrace cross-sector collaboration and technology to accelerate change

According to the World Bank, India’s economy is expected to grow by 8.3 per cent this fiscal year, making it the second fastest-growing economy in the world. Ultimately, with the fastest-growing economies belonging to emerging markets, and an undeniable rise in philanthropic commitments within and from those markets, the trio underscored the profound need and opportunity to push the momentum forward towards maximum and sustainable impact.

In an insightful conversation with Badr Jafar, founding patron of the centre for strategic philanthropy at Cambridge University, renowned philanthropists Nandan and Rohini Nilekani shared their perspectives on the changing nature of strategic philanthropy, in the context of their own philanthropic initiatives, as well as in India at large.

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder, Infosys, said: “Some of the philosophies that underpin our work give people the opportunity to contribute to the local economy. Whether it is through access to education or clean water, our main goal is to give access to as many people as possible to a secure financial future.” This is particularly important in the wake of the Covid-19, which has undone many of the gains made over past years.”

Rohini Nilekani, founder and chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation established to support sustainable water and sanitation solutions across India, binds her diverse philanthropic initiatives with one common thread: Samaaj, or society. She outlined the crucial role that cross-sector collaboration plays in strengthening society,

“It is patently obvious to all of us that you cannot solve issues in silos. If you’re interested in having impact at the scale of the problem, then you have to work with the state, markets, and society,” Nilekani said.

Jafar expressed similar sentiments, noting that the possible silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic is the strategic partnerships formed, with over $20.2 billion in funding deployed globally from corporations, foundations, public charities, and individuals, all working together to address the pandemic

Nilekani highlighted technology’s ability to enable scale and speed, and to create a common platform to combat the diverse challenges our world faces. While there are dangers to technology, Nilekani asserted, “Good technologies will amplify good intent, and we have to use them.” In 2015, Nandan and Nilekani co-founded the EkStep Foundation to address the lack of access to learning opportunities in India through an open digital infrastructure. With approximately 20 million children entering and exiting the education system in India each year, the large scale of reach enabled by technology is vital to achieving impact. In just over five years, the foundation has enabled millions of children across India to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.