"Unlocking Social Impact with Market-Based Capital at ICES2025"

Beyond Grants: Mobilizing Market-Based Capital for Social Good is the next frontier for #CSR & #Philanthropy. Neha Agarwal, Founder & CEO of Lightroad, moderated this vital conversation at the India CSR & ESG Summit 2025. #CSR #Sustainability #SocialImpact #ImpactFinance #ICES2025 #BlendedFinance #InnovativeFinance #OutcomeBasedFunding

India’s ESG Revolution Won’t Be Led by Giants Alone. When we talk about ESG leadership, the spotlight often falls on big corporates. But the real changemakers might just be India’s mid-sized companies - agile, deeply rooted in communities, and ready to turn ESG from compliance into competitive advantage. These enterprises already have CSR foundations, strong local linkages, and an entrepreneurial spirit. What they need now is the right push - frameworks, capacity-building, and collaboration - to make sustainability part of their DNA. At National CSR Network, we believe mid-sized firms are the unsung heroes of India’s ESG journey. Through our advisory, capacity-building, and sustainability frameworks, we help organizations integrate ESG into their strategy, governance, and growth roadmap. Because ESG isn’t just a policy shift - it’s a business transformation opportunity waiting to be seized. Let’s empower India’s mid-sector to lead the sustainability transition - from compliance to commitment. 👉 To read the full blog and explore our perspective, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gsEfu74b #ESG #Sustainability #CSR #NationalCSRNetwork #NCN #ResponsibleBusiness #MidSizedCompanies #IndiaESGTransition

https://lnkd.in/g9Hh3Xjt India’s evolving CSR and ESG landscape is redefining the social contract between business and society. The compliance era is over; the convergence era has begun. The next phase is about embedding purpose into profit, impact into innovation, and governance into growth. By leveraging blended finance, fostering stakeholder ecosystems, and adopting measurable accountability, Indian corporates are turning sustainability from a cost center into a core growth strategy. This transformation represents not just good business—but good nation-building. #CSRTransformation #ESGIndia #SocialImpact #Sustainability #BlendedFinance #CircularEconomy #RegenerativeAgriculture #InclusiveGrowth #TechForGood #FutureOfImpact

🌿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗘𝗖 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 The World Environment Council (WEC) is proud to launch a national initiative “𝗘𝗦𝗚 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗠𝗘𝘀: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀.” This mission aims to empower India’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through ESG compliance, audits, training, and green finance integration — advancing SDG 6, 8, 9, 12, and 13. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗦𝗥 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: 🤝 Ministry of MSME, Skill India Digital Hub, State Industry Departments 🏢 Corporate CSR partners under sustainability mandates 🎓 Academic institutions for ESG education and research 🏦 Financial institutions promoting green and responsible financing 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀. 📩 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁@𝘄𝗲𝗰.𝗼𝗿𝗴.𝗶𝗻 🌐 www.wec.org.in #WEC #ESGforSMEs #Sustainability #CSRIndia #MSME #GreenFinance #ESGLeadership #SkillIndia #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateAction #ResponsibleBusiness #EnvironmentCouncil #ESGIndia #SDG2030 #WECIndia

My absolute pleasure to have participated in the engaging fireside chat on Sustainable Finance & Green Investments at the #TMClimateGovernanceSummit. Key policy actions in India—such as SEBI’s and Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s green regulatory frameworks (BRSR, green bonds etc.), various incentives for renewable energy, and mandatory ESG disclosures—have been vital enablers of India's low-carbon transition. Looking ahead, operationalizing India’s Climate Finance Taxonomy and creating robust Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems to prevent greenwashing will be crucial steps to enhance market clarity and transparency. These measures will empower investors and financial institutions to confidently channel capital toward sustainable, resilient projects. Grateful to be part of the ongoing dialogue shaping India’s green finance future. #SustainableFinance #GreenTransition #ClimateAction #ESG #NetZeroIndia #CGIS2025

Carbon finance is fast emerging as a powerful tool in India’s climate action journey — but for many corporates, the pathways remain unclear. At the India CSR & ESG Summit 2025, the Corporate Roundtable on Demystifying Carbon Financing: The Catalytic Role of CSR will bring together sustainability professionals, CSR leaders, and ESG officers to unpack how CSR funds can serve as catalytic capital for community-led climate solutions. Key themes we’ll explore: 1. Understanding carbon finance models, standards, and compliance linkages 2. Navigating regulations, grey areas, and upcoming policy shifts 3. Leveraging blended finance to amplify climate and business resilience 4. Designing projects that embed governance, MRV systems, and community inclusion Join us at ICES 2025 to reimagine how CSR can go beyond compliance and play a catalytic role in financing India’s climate future. Register now: https://lnkd.in/g5TQwimV More details: https://indiacsrsummit.in/ #ICES2025 #IndiaCSRandESGSummit2025 #CarbonFinance #ClimateAction #CSR #ESG #Sustainability #ResponsibleGrowth #ImpactfulCSR #CarbonCredits #ClimateResilience #CSRBOX Bhomik Shah | Manasi Diwan | Adarsh T. | Lakshana Asthana | Adesh Sah | Akriti Mishra | Soumashree Sen | Rajvi Parmar | Vasundhra Bhardwaj | Vedant Patil | Aditya Jaiswal | Moinak Goswami | Ritika Verma | Slesha Shah | Nupur Singhal | Rohit Rajput | Aashima Chadha | Johan S Ben | Garima Nema | Rajat Chandra | CSRBOX | India Climate Collaborative | Smriti Singh |

Excited to be a part of the panel going to brainstorm on how corporates, nonprofits, and innovators are leveraging digital solutions to scale social impact. In today’s world, technology is no longer just an enabler, it is the backbone of scaling social impact. From digital learning platforms bridging education gaps, to data-driven healthcare solutions, and tech-enabled monitoring of CSR projects, we are witnessing how innovation is transforming the social development landscape. By integrating digital tools into CSR initiatives, we can not only ensure transparency and efficiency but also expand reach to the last mile, empowering communities at scale. The future of social sector growth lies at the intersection of purpose and technology. PW (PhysicsWallah) CSRBOX #IndiaCSRsummit #socialsector #CSR #technology

CSR in India is evolving, from funders to co-creators. But are we taking enough risks together? At the recent India CSR & ESG Summit by CSRBOX, one message was clear: Corporate Social Responsibility must move beyond cheque-writing to shared courage. Today’s CSR leaders are no longer just sponsors, they’re partners in problem-solving, embracing new financing models, data-led transparency, and cross-sector collaboration. But is this all the bravery needed? Yet, as we heard across sessions, the next leap will require empathy + risk appetite, being willing to finance innovation, also capacity building not just outcomes; to stand with NGOs through experimentation, not just evaluation. At Ketto Foundation, we’ve seen that when corporations co-own both the risk and the reward of impact, something powerful happens, trust deepens, systems strengthen, and solutions scale. Let’s make this a shared conversation, because real impact demands partnership, empathy, and courage. Ashwini Saxena | Shruti Goyal | Anushree Parekh | Lavanya Jayaram | Shilpa M. | Varun Sheth | Shriram K | Sudarshan S | Siddhartha Iyer | Samuel Ebenezer David | Samir Sharma | Poonam Sharma | Monika Walia | Manoj Balachandran | Kishore Kumar Thangavelu | Janet Joseph | Gunjan Patel | Gambhir Agrawal | Dhavan Nagar | Deepak Prabhu Matti (he/him) | Connie Silveira #ketto #kettofoundation #CSR #nonprofit #NGO #collaboration #risktaking #empatheticpartnership

At the 12th India CSR & ESG Summit 2025, the session Beyond Grants: Mobilizing Market-Based Capital for Social Good spotlighted a transformative shift in how CSRBOX can unlock innovative financing for lasting social impact. Moderated by Ms. Neha Agarwal, Founder of Lightroad, the panel brought together leading voices shaping the future of CSR: Mr. Ashwini Saxena, Chief Executive Officer, GMR VARALAKSHMI FOUNDATION, emphasized the urgent need for corporates to shift CSR from traditional “giving” to catalytic “enabling,” advocating blended finance programs as pivotal in driving systemic, long-term change. Ms. Shilpa M., Executive Director at Ketto Foundation, shared ambitions for crowdfunding to evolve into a structured, sustainable tool that embeds transparency and accountability, essential to building trust and sustaining impact financing. Ms. Lavanya Jayaram, Executive Director, South Asia, AVPN, noted the differences in blended finance adoption between international and Indian domestic donors and called for stronger efforts to channel more domestic capital into innovative finance facilities, simplified models, and leveraging existing CSR portfolios. Ms. Shruti Goyal, Partner at Dalberg Advisors, highlighted challenges Indian donors face around compliance, mobilizing private capital alongside CSR, and aligning incentives, stressing the need for sandboxes and shared outcome frameworks. Ms. Anushree Parekh, Associate Director, Social Finance, British Asian Trust, drew on lessons from impact bonds, urging donors to allocate 10-15% of budgets toward outcome-based funding to ensure catalytic and compliant interventions. Together, they painted a forward-looking picture where CSR is no longer just charity but a strategic driver unleashing market-based solutions for social good. At Ketto Foundation, we are proud to lead this journey, empowering organizations and donors to move beyond grants into innovative funding that delivers measurable, scalable impact. #ketto #kettofoundation #CSR #socialgood #empoweringorganizations

Transparency is no longer just a nice-to-have, it is the foundation of trust in social impact. At the recent India CSR & ESG Summit, thought leaders emphasized that technology must be leveraged to bring full visibility into how every rupee is used, from donor intent to beneficiary result. At Ketto Foundation, our AI-powered dashboards make it possible for donors to see real-time impact, connecting their generosity directly to life-changing outcomes. This approach not only reduces friction in giving but also transforms donors into partners in transparency and accountability. Let’s start a dialogue on how tech-driven transparency is reshaping philanthropy and what more we can do to make impact visible and meaningful. Ashwini Saxena | Shruti Goyal | Lavanya Jayaram | Anushree Parekh | Siddhartha Iyer | Samuel Ebenezer David | Samir Sharma | Poonam Sharma | Sanchita Vaish | Sudarshan S | Monika Walia | Manoj Balachandran | Kishore Kumar Thangavelu | Janet Joseph | Gunjan Patel | Gambhir Agrawal | Dhavan Nagar | Deepak Prabhu Matti (he/him) | Connie Silveira | Bijay Chowdhury | Archish Gupta | Ayush S D. | Shilpa M. | Shriram K | Varun Sheth #ketto #kettofoundation #CSR #transparency #technology