Interview
#IIMChat with Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of a conversation with Rohini and Nandan Nilekani as part of the #IIMChat series hosted by IIM alumni in Singapore. The event was moderated by Sonia Gupta, Vidya Vasania, and Suresh Shankar. Like all of us in this room, while I didn’t grow up rich, I still grew up very […]
Interview
The Conversation Series I From Self To Society: The Role Of Active Samaaj For Social Change
In this session of The Conversation Series, Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and a committed philanthropist, shares insights into her journey from self to society, and recounts personal stories of how she arrived at this philosophy of a strong Samaaj as the foundational sector. The author of ‘SAMAAJ, SARKAAR, BAZAAR: A Citizen-First Approach’ […]
Interview
Off The Cuff with Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of ThePrint’s ‘Off The Cuff’, a conversation between Rohini Nilekani, ThePrint’s Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, and Senior Editor Sandhya Ramesh. They discuss Rohini’s new book, ‘Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar’, as well as the changing nature of philosophy, the role of women, and how technology can be used to improve education. My book, […]
Interview
‘You have got to be optimistic in a young country,’ says Rohini Nilekani
Few people in India have confronted issues of social urgency in the many ways that Rohini Nilekani does—as a philanthropist, but equally, as a founder-member of some of India’s best-known civil society organisations, as an inveterate mediator between society, state and market, and as a writer who has thought long and hard about what happens […]
Podcast
Rohini Nilekani on why India’s wealthy need to do more to boost civil society
At a time when the government and the marketplace have assumed enormous power over our lives and choices, Rohini Nilekani argues that now is the time for civil societies to be boosted, and that India’s wealth creators need to do more about it. In this episode, she joins host Sandip Roy to discuss her latest […]
Interview
India@75 I Samaaj, Sarkar, Bazaar I Rohini Nilekani on the Citizen, State& Markets I Barkha Dutt
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Barkha Dutt on her new book and the intersection of the markets, society, and state. I haven’t spoken a lot about the incident that I mention in the introduction of my book, which started me on my engagement with civic issues, because tragedies happen in […]
Keynote
Schemes to Systems: Samaaj led Welfare Delivery Models
Rohini’s keynote at Indus Action’s Schemes to Systems conference. Philanthropist, Rohini Nilekani stresses on how the voice of Samaaj should be amplified and understood, while reducing the administrative gaps. Thank you to Indus action and all the people gathered here. A special namaskar to the two senior politicians here – Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan ji and […]
Podcast
Giving Done Right Podcast: The Heart and the Head
This is an edited version of an episode of Giving Done Right, The Centre for Effective Philanthropy’s (CEP) podcast on making an impact with charitable giving. CEP’s President, Phil Buchanan and Vice President of Programming and External Relations, Grace Nicolette talk to Rohini Nilekani about trust-based philanthropy and what it means to create a philanthropic […]
Panel
Charcha 2021 Plenary: Samaaj, Sarkaar and Bazaar for India’s Development
This is an edited version of the Charcha 2021 plenary session focusing on the role of the three pillars – government, business and civil society – in enabling India’s development. The participants discuss the major challenges faced by each sector, the key points of intersection, and how the collaboration between Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar can […]
Interview
What India Inc can learn from non-profits | Livemint
Rohini Nilekani, who has stepped down as Arghyam Foundation chairperson, talks about how corporates can make social accountability part of their mission By Shalini Umachandran for Livemint There’s no secret, quick fix formula to changing habits. It takes years, even decades, to break out of established patterns of behaviour, but philanthropist Rohini Nilekani believes the pandemic has shown […]
Podcast
The Cerebration Podcast: Expert Talk with Rohini Nilekani on Restore Agency
This is an edited version of an episode of the Cerebration Podcast, a co-learning series hosted by ShikshaLokam in collaboration with the Societal platform team. In this episode, Rohini Nilekani discusses the idea of restoring agency and how to become an agent for change. * From a very young age, I was interested in how […]
Panel
Surmounting the Second Wave; Pandemic Lessons
Pandemic Lessons on Dealing with Grief, Loss and Fear with Dr. Prabha Chandra, Prof. Paulomi Sudhir, Dr. Soumitra Pathare and Dr. Ravindra Mehta in conversation with Rohini Nilekani. The second wave of the pandemic has left ever more numbers of people dealing with stress and anxiety. There is fear and uncertainty, loss and grief. There […]
Podcast
Rohini Nilekani On The Pleasures Of Being In Nature
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview on the Bird Podcast hosted by Shoba Narayan. They discuss Rohini’s favourite birds and why conserving nature is an “enlightened self-interest” for humanity as a whole. Since I was born and brought up in Mumbai, the only birds we saw were crows, sparrows, and sometimes parakeets. […]
Podcast
The Architecture of Good Markets
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Naushad Forbes, business leader and ex-President of the Confederation of Indian Industry, for an episode of India Development Review’s podcast, On the Contrary. Along with Arun Maira, the host of the show, they discuss what markets must include, whom they should serve, and the […]
Panel
Insider-Outsider-Insider
Rohini Nilekani moderates a discussion on delivering large-scale transformational programs, impact on the ground, and the implementation of such programmes in a large and diverse country like India. The discussion draws on the learnings from the Swachh Bharat Mission, the world’s largest successful behaviour change programme, which drew over 55 crore rural Indians out of […]
Keynote
Comments at SVP, Kolkata 3rd Anniversary Meet
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments at SVP’s 3rd Anniversary Meet in Kolkata. My Journey to Structured Philanthropy I have been on my philanthropic journey for about three decades now. When I look back at it now, I think the real journey started much before, with my ancestors, because it is what […]
Interview
Building the Indian philanthropic sector – what can we learn? | India Conference at Harvard 2021
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Mona Sinha, co-founder of Raising Change, at the Harvard India Conference 2021. In my work over the last three decades, I’ve tried to put together a theory of change and what I have realised and tried to communicate is that in the continuum of society, […]
Keynote
Rohini Nilekani’s Keynote at DH Changemakers
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s keynote talk at DH Changemakers, an annual feature by Deccan Herald to honour people who make a difference in Karnataka. What do we mean when we talk about change? We all know that change is the only constant in our lives. Change keeps happening, but I think […]
Article
Women in Philanthropy: A conversation with IMC Ladies Wing
A conversation between IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Rohini Nilekani on the subject of Women in philanthropy- a personal journey, a public conversation. This is an edited version of a conversation between Rohini Nilekani and Shloka Nath, hosted by the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They discuss the role of women in […]
Interview
Nandan and Rohini Nilekani; A Conversation with Badr Jafar
This is an edited version of an interview with Nandan and Rohini Nilekani on the Business of Philanthropy. In conversation with Badr Jafar, they discuss some of the golden rules for strategic philanthropy, how technology is changing the philanthropic sector, and how Covid-19 will impact India’s ability to achieve the SDGs by 2030. I have […]
Interview
A Conversation With Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with NatureinFocus Founder Rohit Varma and Kalyan Varma about her thoughts on the importance of conservation, how to reach younger generations, and her love for the environment and a certain black panther in Kabini. I was born in Mumbai in ‘59 and my childhood was spent […]
Panel
Innovation in Public Spaces: Bengaluru and the Republic of Zoom
Covid-19 was in many ways the Chief Transformation Officer to a digital world. It has been no different in the public spaces for discussions, theatre, museums, galleries, films, music and more. Many Bengaluru Public Institutions innovated during the pandemic period to stay relevant and connected. This is an edited version of a panel discussion moderated […]
Article
Taking Risks in the Face of a Pandemic
2020 has been a sobering year for the philanthropy sector, not just in India, but globally. We have witnessed rising inequality even in these past 6 months, with a few of the rich getting even richer while hundreds of millions of people fell behind in the ensuing economic slowdown. There are some who had just […]
Interview
My Philanthropic Journey: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Embrace Failure
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Vidya Shah, Chairperson & CEO, EdelGive Foundation at EDGE 2020. They discuss Rohini’s insights from her philanthropic journey over the years. My work in philanthropy spans different spaces, from groundwater and sanitation, early learning, social justice and governance, to the arts. I have portfolios […]
Keynote
Romancing the Black Panther – Rohini Nilekani with Usha KR
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Usha KR about conservation, our connection with the environment, and her fascination with the black panther of Kabini. This was held as part of BIC’s Bangalore Literature Festival, 2020. Picture this – we are all in Kabini, waiting for Blacky, the panther of […]
Interview
India’s Richest are Giving Away More
The total amount of philanthropic donations made by the top 112 richest in the country, according to the recently released EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List, has increased by 175% to touch ₹12,050 crore in 2020. The list is being constantly improved and some feel it needs more computational fine-tuning. Yet, the bigger message is about […]
Panel
Building a Social Muscle via Mediation
This is an edited version of the CAMP IDEX mediation webinar on ‘Building a social muscle and finding common ground.’ Adversarial behaviours dominate our lives, but the culture of collaboration is growing. Justice Kurian Joseph, Sriram Panchu and Rohini Nilekani discuss how mediation can help society find common ground in this session, moderated by Krishna […]
Article
Daan Utsav: Investing For A Better ‘Samaaj’
From the beginning of October and through the end of December, our minds are more attuned to giving and sharing. The giving season starts with Gandhi’s birthday and goes on well past Christmas. In between, there are many festivals of sharing, and gratitude, including Dassera and Diwali.India’s Daan Utsav is well-timed to enhance the feeling […]
Panel
Covid Cured: Recording the Recovery
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Anshu Gupta, and Theja Ram about how they coped with COVID-19 and what they learnt about the disease, the health care system, and society in the pandemic. As of September 5, approximately 27 million people were confirmed to have been infected […]
Interview
Rohini Nilekani | Casual Conversations with Citizens
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Gopal Sankaranarayanan, as part of the Casual Conversations with Citizens series. Rohini shares her experiences of life and encounters with the law, rights, and most importantly, her ideas of justice. I grew up in a fairly middle class household in Mumbai, and my parents wanted […]
Panel
Rohini Nilekani, Ravi Venkatesan and Friends: Reimagining Abundance
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Ravi Venkatesan (Founder, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship) and Nipun Mehtra (Founder, ServiceSpace). Joining them is Brinda Govindan (a teacher at San Francisco State University), Shaalini Srinivasan (co-editor of MovedbyLove), and Jordyn Alexandra (a teacher in Salt Lake City). They discuss how to respond with […]
Article
Reimagining Abundance in Post COVID-19 India
As people return to life and work post the lockdown, some predictions point to a mad rush to do even more than before. Travel more, buy more, meet more people, eat out more — do more of more. The government too is expected to do more to restore economic growth and livelihoods. Much more is […]
Panel
Settlers Unsettled: How can Bengaluru Retain its Dynamic Workforce?
Bangalore is a city of migrants. But we do not know yet how many of them have left the city in the wake of the pandemic. With the lockdown partially lifted, many more may want to return home. There are indications that they may not wish to hurry back. The idea of home has never […]
Panel
Resilience, Hope: India in the Time of COVID-19 & Climate Change
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Jairam Ramesh (former Minister for Environment and Forests) and Navroz Dubash (Professor at the Centre for Policy Research). Moderated by Barkha Dutt, New Worlds is a three-part digital series by the India Climate Collaborative to discuss resilience and recovery in the face of our […]
Panel
Home Work: Imagining a New Deal with Domestic Workers
This is an edited version of a panel discussion on “Home Work: Imagining a New Deal with Domestic Workers” with Geeta Menon, Amita Baviskar, Alok Prasanna, and Vikram Rai, in conversation with Rohini Nilekani. The event was hosted by the Bangalore International Centre. Globally, one out of every 25 women is employed as a domestic […]
Keynote
Rohini’s Comments at SVP, Bangalore All Partners Meet
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments at the SVP, Bangalore All Partner’s meet. This pandemic has taught us a lot about ourselves, our communities, and our governments. We’ve learnt about the positives and the negatives of our public systems, and our activistic fears are being revived. But our empathy has also been […]
Interview
Rohini’s Message During the ChaloGive Fundraiser
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments and message during the ChaloGive fundraiser. The way COVID-19 has restructured all our lives is unprecedented. Nobody expected everything to unravel quite this quickly. We recently conducted some surveys with Omidyar and Dalberg, and 64% of the respondents said that they were facing a serious loss […]
Panel
Keep the Change: Can Bengaluru Sustain the Lessons of the Pandemic
This is an edited version of a panel discussion moderated by Rohini Nilekani, on the city’s hope for a new normal post COVID-19. The focus is on what we have learnt from the pandemic, why it is worth preserving and, most importantly, how that good can be preserved, post lock down. The panel included Nitin […]
Panel
Community Cares: A City Responds
This is an edited version of a conversation about the community response to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, moderated by Rohini Nilekani. Panelists include Anshu Gupta, Nalini Sekhar and Kuldeep Dantewadia. The times we are living in, and the reality of COVID-19, means that we are being called on to do things in new ways and […]
Interview
ASER 2019 Launch
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Pratham co-founder, Dr. Madhav Chavan, on the ASER 2019 report. It’s been 20 years since I have been part of the Pratham family, and when we started our work in Karnataka what I enjoyed most was working at the Balwadis with the children and […]
Interview
Interview: What Shall We Do With All This Money?
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview with Jayesh A Parekh, from a chapter in his book, What Shall We Do With All This Money? – Inspiring perspectives on Wealth As someone who grew up in a normal, middle-class family, my parents instilled in us values about wealth that prioritised giving rather than […]
Keynote
Rohini Nilekani: On my journey as a philanthropist
This is an edited version of a speech delivered by Rohini Nilekani to a closed door gathering of Asian philanthropists. Most of us in this room are on a journey of discovery as philanthropists. We recognize that we have been lucky, we are fortunate to have wealth way beyond our needs. We want to use […]
Keynote
Closing Keynote | Strategic Non-Profit Management India | 2019
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s closing keynote address delivered to the 2019 class of the Strategic Non-Profit Management – India offered developed in conjunction with the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative and offered in association with the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy at Ashoka University. I think we are at a fairly […]
Keynote
Bangalore’s Shapeshifts: A Personal Journey
This is an edited version of a talk Rohini Nilekani gave as part of a curated series called ‘Speaking of the City,’ curated by Bangalore’s World-Famous Semi-Deluxe Writing Program at Shoonya. Rohini talks about the city’s role in her work as a philanthropist and social innovator. An Accidental Bangalorean It’s been 35 years […]
Article
The jewelled Aghanashini: It’s the last major free flowing river of peninsular India, don’t put the squeeze on it
For its entire 124 kilometres, this jewel of a river flows free. It is probably as old as the Western Ghats, older than the Himalayan range. Though not especially long, this west flowing river has a volume of water equal to the bigger Kali or Sharavathi rivers nearby. It originates in Shankara Honda in the […]
Interview
Our Cities, Our Rivers: Re-imagining the Relationship
As 1.3 billion people seek better lives in a monsoon-dependent economy, the white and green revolutions may have produced grains and milk, but water is in some parts of India today more expensive and less accessible than milk. Ground water resources are depleting. NIITI Ayog sees a crisis by 2020. Where do we stand? How […]
Interview
Are we suffering from a lack of imagination?
The pace at which social problems are outpacing our solutions underscores the need for bold philanthropy, audacious goals and capable, committed leadership in social sector organisations, says Rohini Nilekani, founder-chairperson of Arghyam and co-founder of EkStep. How do you think Indian philanthropy has evolved over the years? How have the approaches and discussions around […]
Keynote
Impact and Failures | Opening Keynote at Impact Failure Conclave, 2018
Rohini’s opening keynote delivered at the Impact Failure Conclave 2018 This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s opening keynote delivered at the Impact Failure Conclave 2018. When we think about failure, the way it’s received by samaaj (society), bazaar (markets), and sarkaar (state) are quite different. In the social sector, we have realised how […]
Interview
Water Philanthropy in India: A Conversation with Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, Director, Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, Director, Columbia Global Centres in Mumbai. Their discussed the state of the water crisis in India and how philanthropists can help address this issue. Although I had started […]
Interview
The Art Of Giving : Nandan Nilekani & Rohini Nilekani
Wealth doesn’t fully belong to us, we are only trustees. Our children knew that. Power to give away is the most important value of money,” inspiring words from Nandan and Rohini Nilekani, days after signing the Giving Pledge. As part of the pledge, they have committed to donate half of their wealth to charity. In […]
Panel
Bangalore vs Bengaluru: The Tale Of Two Indian Cities
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s panel discussion with Naresh Narasimhan (Architect), Vinay K Sreenivasa (Alternative Law Forum), Pawan Kumar (Film-maker), and T M Veeraraghav (Resident Editor, The Hindu Bengaluru). The discussion, titled ‘Bangalore vs Bengaluru: The Tale Of Two Indian Cities’ was a part of The Huddle 2017, held on February 10, […]
Article
A Mirage or an Opportunity? 21st Century Water Governance.
If water governance does not improve in India, we seem headed straight towards disaster. Our groundwater tables are abysmally low in many parts of the country; many of our main river basins are closed. And the expressed demand for water might not even be half-met in the next decade. So the question of how to […]
Interview
India’s Uber Rich: How they Should Behave.
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Vikram Singh Mehta at the 2016 Times Lit Fest in Delhi. When my family happened to get rich a few years ago, I had to grapple with the question of what to do with this wealth. As someone who was a journalist, and who grew […]
Interview
Indian Philanthropy Series | Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview with Dasra, for the Indian Philanthropy Series. This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview with Dasra, for the Indian Philanthropy Series. In a country like India, philanthropy means something quite different than it does in Western countries where the basic standard of living is […]
Panel
Strengthening Philanthropic Giving & Impact Investing for Development of India
This is an edited version of a panel discussion on Strategic Philanthropic Giving & Impact Investing in India, with Rohini Nilekani, Moutushi Sengupta, Vineet Rai, Deval Sanghavi, and Seema Chowdhry at DPW 2016: Philanthropy Day. Within the social sector, many people have been working towards bringing traditional philanthropy and impact investment together. There are certain […]
Panel
India at the Crossroads
This is an edited version of a panel discussion with Neera Nundy, Rikin Gandhi, Tim Hanstad, and Rohini Nilekani on Social Entrepreneurship: India at the Crosswords, at the 2015 Skoll World Forum. India is clearly at an inflection point. There is global momentum, true economic incentives, and real desire to achieve social and economic progress […]
Interview
First Givers Club – Signature Workshop with Rohini Nilekani & Nandan Nilekani
This is an edited version of a panel discussion with Mr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Nandan and Rohini Nilekani, for GiveIndia.org, an online donation platform. My journey in the nonprofit sector began with a serendipitous meeting with CV Madhukar. Towards the end of 1999, when my children were starting to become more independent, I was lucky enough […]
Keynote
The Next Big Thing – Quadrum Presents QED
This is an edited version of Rohini and Nandan Nilekani’s talk, The Next Big Thing — Quadrum Presents QED. As Nandan and I travel, we try to watch out for new trends around the world. Even now, the world is divided into countries like ours, where half the population is still in the 19th […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – The employment exchange
Exclusive extracts from Rohini Nilekani’s ‘Uncommon Ground’, in which Sunil Mittal and Aruna Roy debate job creation in India. India’s demographic trajectory is such that, for the next twenty years, about 1 million people will enter the workforce every month. Will there be a sufficient number of jobs for them all? And will these jobs […]
TV Show
Uncommon Ground | Rahul Bajaj and Dinesh Mohan on Transport Solutions for India
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s Uncommon Ground, where she brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes that are highly relevant for our future development. In this episode, she moderates a discussion on transportation with Professor Dinesh Mohan of IIT Delhi, who was the expert resource […]
TV Show
Uncommon Ground | YC Deveshwar and Sunita Narain on Sustainable Development
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s Uncommon Ground, where she brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes that are highly relevant for our future development. In this episode, she moderates a discussion on business and sustainability with Yogesh Deveshwar, the chairman of ITC, and Sunita Narain, […]
TV Show
Uncommon Ground | Habil Khorakiwala and Mirai Chatterjee on Healthcare for All
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s Uncommon Ground, where she brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes that are highly relevant for our future development. In this episode, she moderates a discussion on health services with Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman of Wockhardt Group, and Dr. Mirai Chatterjee, […]
TV Show
Uncommon Ground| Vindi Banga and Suman Sahai on Food & Science and Finding the Right Balance
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s Uncommon Ground, where she brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes that are highly relevant for our future development. In this episode, she moderates a discussion on food equity with Dr. Suman Sahai, the convener of the Gene Campaign, and […]
TV Show
Uncommon Ground | Sunil Mittal and Aruna Roy on Generating Rural Jobs
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s Uncommon Ground, where she brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes that are highly relevant for our future development. In this episode, she moderates a discussion on employment with Sunil Mittal, Chairman and group CEO, Bharti Enterprises, and Aruna Roy, […]
Article
Breaking their shells
IN THE northern plains of Bihar, which are so used to being part of a flood economy that the railway stations have permanent stalls for flood relief personnel, we at Arghyam are supporting a small, yet bold, initiative in the districts of Madhubani, Sahara, Supaul and Khagaria. A small, but committed group of five NGOs […]
Article
They read better today
More than 95 per cent of 69,800 children in government schools can read better today; 45,000 children who could not read before can now read without any hitch. The 45-day accelerated reading programme, conducted jointly by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Akshara Foundation across primary classes in over 1,400 government schools in Bangalore, has done wonders […]
Article
The Come-To-Tea Committees
Ea r l ie r this year, those who followed the activities of Rajiv Gandhi when he came to the city, noticed that while for most of the time he remained in the shadow of his mother, he made one deviation. He agreed to attend a tea-party hosted in his honour by an organisation—hitherto unheard […]