Development Seminar | Report launch: The promise of impact investing in India

Brookings India hosted a Development Seminar and the launch of our report, “The Promise of Impact Investing in India”. The report is the first, comprehensive state of the sector study on Impact Investing in India based on a survey across sectors including health, education and agriculture. The launch of the report was followed by a discussion between Shamika Ravi, Director of Research, Brookings India, Baijayant Panda, National Vice President and Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party, Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive, British Asian Trust, and Geeta Goel, India Country Director, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

The impact investment industry in India holds great promise to complement existing government programs. The real lynchpin in determining the success and longevity of the market will lie in how far investors go in building and proving impact models that have already shown financial and social returns. This  state of the sector report brings together wide-ranging analysis and offers insights from a  detailed survey of stakeholders undertaken by Brookings scholars. Structured around four key tenets of impact investment market activity — market trends in India, sector-level analysis, innovative financing and measurements— the study presents major trends that have shaped the Indian impact investment environment and offers specific recommendations. A special focus is placed on the key social themes of health, education and agriculture as well as the future of outcomes-based financing and impact bonds in India. The panelists discussed the state and potential of the impact investing sector in India, the challenges of competing with government in sectors such as health and education, and the shifts within the sector.

The launch event was followed by a panel discussion on “Early Learnings from the Quality Education India DIB” which was held in collaboration with the British Asian Trust.

Agenda for the event: