January gave me a golden opportunity to attend the leadership workshop hosted by Indian Leaders Social Sector. The session featured keynote speakers.
The insights and context given by the workshop were ones which are pivotal in understanding the Social Impact sector in India. One of the first sessions was getting foundational insights into the core principles driving the social sector. This session was delivered by the honourable Deval Sanghvi the founder of Dasra. The open forum posed some exciting questions which led to invigorating answers.
A bigger theme that emerged in this session was understanding the role of the social sector in India especially with the current shift in the market and the emergence of social impact consulting by private players steering the leading efforts in the sector. Here is what Mr.Sanghvi had to say.
“Any society which is developed, every single country has a civil society sector, which will always have a role, which isnt elected, but also not primarily driven by profits. You need a group of civil society entities to challenge the norms. Will be here to stay.”
He also highlighted that many pioneering projects and government schemes were initially pilot programs run by NGO which understates the importance of the social sector in India. He also explained that in any democracy the focus will always be on catering to the majority as an aftermath a patch of minorities will always be left out hence there needs to be institutions that prioritise these groups of population and the public sector plays exactly that role.
Amongst the audience were younger organisations interested in knowing more about funding routes and how to tap into government support and philanthropic funding. Here is what was emphasized.
“The government is vast. You’ll find officials who care about your cause. For India to achieve its SDG commitments, it must address the needs of minorities and marginalized communities.”
On philanthropy, he pointed out that family foundations often demonstrate greater flexibility and depth than CSR-driven funding. Engaging philanthropists requires a personal touch, focusing on building connections between funders, teams, and the communities they serve.
During the session, additional themes were also explored regarding the evolving dynamics of social sector spending and the complexities of measuring impact in the social sector. Among the audience were concerns about the emerging trend of shrinking social sector funds as there seems to be an increasing emphasis on corporate frameworks such as ESG and CSR, primarily designed to mitigate corporate malpractices through quantifiable compensatory measures.
This shift has raised concerns that NGOs, deeply embedded in community work, might be unduly burdened by an overemphasis on numerical metrics.
It was argued that while these frameworks hold corporations accountable, the true value of the non-profit sector lies in its ability to mobilize community strengths and influence systemic change without being confined to rigid measurements.
Furthermore, the discussion highlighted the challenges of scaling effective social models through governmental channels, noting that state funding often prioritizes visible ‘hardware’ outputs over intangible outcomes like behavioural change and well-being.
Experts stressed the need to reconceptualize performance metrics, educate stakeholders on lead and lag indicators and drawing on historical examples of the theory of change to better capture the incremental yet profound impacts that define sustainable social progress.
The ILSS conference was a reminder of the sector’s resilience and the critical role it plays in shaping India’s future. Whether it’s through innovative models in education, creating safe spaces for children, or fostering active citizenship, the social sector remains an indispensable force for progress.
As Mr.Sanghvi commented, “ Human resilience will ensure that the doomsday clock never happens.” This workshop was about understanding leadership and recognizing the collective effort required to drive meaningful change. Let’s continue to learn, collaborate, and act.
