Interview
Rohini Nilekani and Arun Kumar | Succeeding in Partnerships
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Arun Kumar on Succeeding in Partnerships. The discussion highlights the importance of partnerships in addressing large and complex societal issues and the need for including partnerships in the organisation strategy. Collaboration is an important topic in the social sector today. Collaboration as an idea should, […]
Panel
Rohini Nilekani and Kamaljit Bawa: How to Grow ATREE in the Era of Climate Change
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Professor Kamaljit Bawa at Indiaspora Climate Summit on April 20th. They discussed the urgency of climate science and ATREE’s work. Out of all of the areas that I fund, I have come to the realisation that my environmental portfolio is perhaps the most critical as […]
Interview
To Fail is to Have Dared
In this interview with IDR, Rohini speaks about why we need to underwrite failure in the social sector, how philanthropists can support failure in practice, and shares some of her own failures as an activist philanthropist. When working on complex issues of social change, failure is inevitable. Yet, people in the social sector are reluctant […]
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
Rohini’s Comments at The Annual Desh Apnayen Awards Ceremony
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s address at the ACTIZENS awards ceremony hosted by the Desh Apnayen Sahayog Foundation. In her speech as Chief Guest, Rohini Nilekani discusses how we can harness India’s latent potential to shape extraordinary citizens who will make India the world’s greatest democracy. You and your friends, and all […]
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 […]
Article
कबीनी का काला पैंथर
यह तो होना ही था। जब दिल प्रफुल्लित होकर भर आता है, तो आंखे छलक ही जाती है। अंततः जब मैंने उस जीव को देखा, जिसका पीछा मैं पांच वर्षों से कर रही थी तो आंसू बिन बुलाये मेहमान की तरह चले आये। आख़िरकार, वह ब्लैकी या जैसा कि स्थानीय लोग उसे कहते हैं, करिया […]
Article
Curiosity Over Certainty: A Learning Approach to Grantmaking
In this piece, Natasha Joshi, Associate Director at Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, writes about a learning approach to grantmaking emerging from our work with Young Men & Boys In the work of creating a gender-equitable society, men play an essential role – this is labour that women should not and cannot shoulder alone. But in virtually […]
Article
Encounters with Kabini’s Black Panther
For those waiting and watching, it was another good moment. For me, it was an unforgettable one. For years, I had been on a pilgrimage to find one elusive, unique animal in the Kabini forest of Karnataka—the world’s most famous black panther, known locally as Karia or Blackie. During this past pandemic year, I was […]
