The Sattva Knowledge Institute (SKI) Annual Summit Calls for Collaborative Action for a Better Future

Indias march towards achieving its vision of a fully developed nation, “Viksit Bharat,” by its centenary in 2047, received a powerful call to action, at the inaugural Sattva Knowledge Institute (SKI) Annual Summit. Sattva Consulting, a global impact consulting firm, convened over 150 influential thinkers including Corporate Leaders, Investors, Policy Makers, Philanthropists, Entrepreneurs and Social Organisations together to strategise and co-create pathways for sustainable and inclusive development.

Rathish Balakrishnan Co-founder and Managing Partner, Sattva

The summit offered thought-provoking discussions towards Indias centenary milestone, featuring a diverse array of tracks and esteemed speakers. During his keynote, Dr. R Balasubramaniam, Member- HR, Capacity Building Commission, Government of India guided participants through the visionary landscape of India@100, while Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director for Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) delved into the crucial aspects of innovation and channelling corporate social responsibility towards meeting the goals of the nation. Aditya Natraj, CEO of Piramal Foundation, shared insights on fostering future-ready non-profits. Dr. Rukmini Banerji, CEO of Pratham Education Foundation, championed the cause of gender equity in STEM fields, and Ashok Dalwai, CEO of National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), IAS Retd, spotlighted the path towards water-resilient agriculture. The session saw Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson at MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) speaking on the need to improve health outcomes for women and Dr Pramod Varma, CTO EkStep Foundation and Co-founder, FIDE.org highlighting the criticality of building digital public infrastructure to address climate change. Joining these distinguished experts, attendees gained valuable insights and perspectives to co-create solutions, shaping a roadmap towards a thriving and sustainable future for India over curated discussions during the five big idea workshops as part of the Summit agenda.

“Building a Viksit Bharat requires a concerted effort to address complex social challenges head-on. This demands collective action, creating a knowledge infrastructure for the impact sector to learn from each other and build on those learnings,” stated Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder, and Managing Partner at Sattva Consulting. “At Sattva, we firmly believe that unlocking impactful solutions requires the convergence of business, government, and philanthropic action. Facilitating dialogue and collaboration among these pivotal stakeholders is paramount to achieving societal impact at scale. With the SKI Annual Summit, we aim to cultivate a collaborative ethos, where diverse perspectives and expertise converge to co-create impactful solutions,” added Srikrishna Sridhar Murthy, Co- founder, and CEO of Sattva Consulting.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. R Balasubramaniam, said, “Sectoral margins, between the public, private and social sectors have to dissolve. With Jan Bhagidhari, it is the hour for citizens to recognise their agency to be catalysts for change. Continued investment in human and social capital can create significant economic consequences and help build a new DNA, for a Viksit Bharat. We have to be inclusive in our approach to development and recognise the duty we have towards nation building and do it together, as Team India.”

The SKI Annual Summit workshops explored five crucial areas pivotal to Indias advancement:

• Future Ready Non-profits: Equipping non-profits with the tools and knowledge they need to become scalable, sustainable “Champion Non-profits” that can make a big impact.

• Gender Equity in STEM: Working to close the gender disparity in STEM by encouraging more girls involvement, especially in states performing below the national average.

• Open Network Thinking and DPIs in Climate: Speeding up the shift to green energy using Open Network Thinking and strong Digital Public Infrastructure to take action against climate change.

• Water Resilient Agriculture: Cutting down groundwater usage in areas that rely on rainfall, for eco-friendly farming.

• Enhancing Womens Health: Lowering Disability Adjusted Life Year Losses for women through effective screening and diagnosis, bringing better health results.

Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director for Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), said, “It is a great time to invest in innovation and the investments are bound to pay off significantly. India is transforming into a hub for innovation, spearheading an entrepreneurial revolution, steering towards a robust and innovation driven economy.”

Sattva Knowledge Institute also launched three reports aimed at catalysing positive change and fostering innovation across various sectors.

The first report, titled CSR & Corporate Philanthropy for Innovation in India | A Guidebook for Corporates to Incubate and Accelerate Innovation launched in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), serves as a comprehensive resource for corporates seeking to foster innovation and drive growth. This guidebook offers practical insights and strategies to accelerate corporate innovation initiatives, facilitating their transition towards a more agile and impactful future. [DOWNLOAD HERE]

The second report, Transforming Crop Cultivation: Advancing Water-efficiency in Indian Agriculture, done in partnership with DCM Shriram Foundation, delves into the critical issue of water scarcity in agriculture. Through collaborative efforts with key partners, key systemic solutions to promote water-efficient crop cultivation have been identified, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and resource conservation.

The third report was launched in partnership with AISECT, Barriers to Breakthroughs: Encouraging Girls Participation in STEM Education, a comprehensive roadmap aimed at promoting girls participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. This report outlines actionable steps and strategies to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields, empowering girls to pursue careers in these critical sectors.

Balakrishnan wrapped up, stating, “The SKI Annual Summit has paved the way for a combined strategy to reach Indias social growth objectives. By pooling efforts, applying shared solutions, and nurturing innovative instincts, we are working toward an inclusive and sustainable Viksit Bharat by 2047. The reports launched today, represent our ongoing commitment to driving meaningful change and creating a more equitable and sustainable future. We invite stakeholders from across sectors to leverage these insights and collaborate with us in advancing our shared goals of social impact and inclusive growth.”

The Sattva Knowledge Institute Annual Summit was held in partnership with AISECT, DCM Shriram Foundation, FIDE (Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy), and jhpiego.

About Sattva Consulting

We Partner to deliver societal impact at scale.

Sattva Consulting is a global impact consulting firm from India. Since 2009 we have been engaging with communities, business and government to achieve societal impact at scale. We believe that Civil society, Business and Government all have a critical role to play in building an equitable and sustainable world, and we actively partner with all stakeholders to enable impact through our advisory & orchestration services, knowledge and data platforms which we have built as public goods for the ecosystem and collaborative solutions and partnerships. Our teams are based in India, Singapore, Denmark and UK, but as a global organisation our work has spanned 25 countries and 5 continents.

For more information, please visit: www.sattva.co.in.