ILSS and EkStep Foundation Join Hands to Catalyse Digital Capacity in India’s Social Sector
In a bold move to accelerate digital transformation in India’s social sector, India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) and the EkStep Foundation have partnered to scale and strengthen the Koita Centre for Digital Transformation (KCDT) at ILSS. This Centre, established by ILSS, in partnership with the Koita Foundation, is designed to equip non-profits with the digital capabilities needed to scale impact and drive innovation.
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(L-R): Anirban Chaudhury, Head, KCDT; Anu Prasad, Founder and CEO, ILSS; Shankar Maruwada, Co-Founder and CEO, EkStep Foundation
The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in the development ecosystem by offering structured leadership training, practical toolkits, and a vibrant ecosystem that enables mission-driven organisations to adopt technology and data more effectively.
“At ILSS, we’ve long recognised that leadership in the social sector must evolve to meet the challenges of a digital world,” said Anu Prasad, Founder and CEO of ILSS. “This partnership with EkStep Foundation and Koita Foundation through KCDT is our collective response to a deeply felt need across the ecosystem-non-profits need support, not just with tools, but with the mindset and skillsets to lead digital transformation meaningfully.”
KCDT, housed within ILSS, has been operating since early 2025 under the leadership of Anirban Chaudhury. As a centre of excellence, it has already begun serving as a hub for experimentation, co-creation, and capacity-building for non-profits across the country.
“Through KCDT, we are creating a space that enables social impact organisations to learn, adapt, and innovate using digital means-without losing sight of the human mission at the core,” said Anirban Chaudhury, Head of KCDT. “We believe the digital transformation of the sector must be inclusive, intentional, and guided by real-world insights from changemakers on the ground.”
“Digital transformation is no longer optional for social organisations-it is essential. At Koita Foundation, we are committed to enabling long-term capacity in the sector by supporting initiatives like KCDT that provide structured guidance, peer learning, and real-world application. It’s about building digital confidence, not just digital systems,” said Rekha Koita, Co-founder and Director of Koita Foundation.
A key component of the partnership is the Digital Transformation for Social Impact (DTSI) program-a curated learning journey for non-profit leaders to strengthen digital strategy and implementation. Complementing this is the upcoming Digital Toolbook for Social Impact (DiTSI)-an open-access guide featuring frameworks, case studies, and actionable resources for integrating digital tools across operations, program delivery, fundraising, and impact measurement.
“Digital transformation in the social sector isn’t about just digitising existing processes-it’s about reimagining how we learn, interact, work, and deliver value to communities,” said Shankar Maruwada, CEO and Co-founder of EkStep Foundation. “This collaboration is a commitment to building that capacity in a way that is open, accessible, and community-led.”
By bringing together nonprofits, funders, technology partners, and knowledge experts, this initiative seeks to build a long-term foundation for systemic digital transformation-one that strengthens India’s development sector from the inside out.
About ILSS
India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) is a leadership and capacity-building organisation that nurtures talent, skills, and vision within India’s development ecosystem. Through its programs, ILSS builds future-ready leaders capable of driving scalable and sustainable social impact.
About EkStep Foundation
EkStep Foundation is a philanthropy that works on technology-enabled, population scale digital transformation. Its work intersects Digital Public Infrastructure, AI and Open Networks. The organisation’s works focuses on the ‘Learning to Earning’ journey, with a specialised focus on school education, jobs and agriculture.
About Koita Centre for Digital Transformation (KCDT)
KCDT is a strategic initiative established by ILSS and The Koita Foundation to accelerate digital transformation in India’s social sector by enabling knowledge, tools, and collaborative learning opportunities for non-profits and sector leaders.
