The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently hosted a panel discussion on ‘Role of Philanthropy in India’s Human, Social and Economic Progress’. The discussion saw participation from experts and leaders from the government, private sector and civil society. The panel included Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Ms. Vidya Shah, CEO, EdelGive Foundation; Mr. Ashish Dhawan, Chairman, Central Square Foundation and Mr. Rodger Voorhies, President, BMGF.

Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog delivering his keynote speech during the panel discussion on ‘Role of Philanthropy in India’s Human, Social and Economic Progress hosted by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in New Delhi

The discussion highlighted various themes around philanthropy and the role it plays in enabling and supporting a country’s social development. The panelists also shed light on the means to create synergy between the government and the private sector, as effective partners working towards a common cause. The conversation also brought up the subject of how private philanthropy can be leveraged as an effective instrument to help solve some key developmental challenges.

L-R:  Ms. Vidya Shah, CEO, EdelGive Foundation; Ms. Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, Mr. Rodger Voorhies, President, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mr. Ashish Dhawan, Chairman, Central Square Foundation during the panel discussion on ‘Role of Philanthropy in India’s Human, Social and Economic Progress hosted by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in New Delhi

While discussing the role of philanthropy in a country’s social development, Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, “Philanthropy has a key role to play in the development of our country. Indian philanthropists are paving the way and it’s encouraging to see that they are making changes in many lives. However, Philanthropy should be combined with technology & innovation, which has the potential to make real grassroot level changes. Philanthropy will be a catalyst of growth & development in India, therefore there is good reason to be optimistic about the future of philanthropy in India.”

Emphasizing the contributions of philanthropy in addressing global health and development challenges, Rodger Voorhies, President of Global Growth & Opportunity, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said, “India is making great strides to tackle some of its most persistent development challenges, and private philanthropy can play an important role in helping drive this progress. We believe that when people have the right tools, information, and inspiration, their giving will accelerate the pace of positive change in the world.”

This panel discussion was hosted under the Aksha platform of the Gates Foundation. The aim of Aksha is to bring forth ideas, solutions, innovations, data and evidence on what’s working, and what is not. It provides an opportunity to share learnings and best practices that can be applied in the local context with an aim to deliver our collective vision of an India where every person has the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people – especially those with the fewest resources – have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.