Philanthropy is having something of a renaissance. At a time when governments are struggling to finance social protection, climate adaptation, public health and human development, private wealth is being invited — and increasingly volunteering — to fill part of the gap. New foundations are being established, family offices are professionalising their giving, corporations are expanding their social commitments and a new class of philanthropic advisers is helping wealthy families decide where, how and why to deploy their resources.
Yet philanthropy is not simply about generosity. It is also about power. This paper argues that the central issue is therefore not whether philanthropy is good or bad, but whether it is responsible, transparent, locally grounded and genuinely directed towards public purpose. Drawing on faith traditions, development economics and contemporary practice, it proposes ten policy directions for a philanthropic culture the paper terms “social stewardship” — one that strengthens human capability, public institutions and community resilience while remaining accountable to the society that ultimately gives wealth its meaning.
Microfinance in India: Boon or Curse for the Poor and Voiceless?A Critical Review of Its Genesis, Misuses, and the Road to Revival
Microfinance was once celebrated as one of the most promising innovations in development finance: small, collateral-free credit to the poorest, leveraging social capital instead of physical assets. Originating in the successes of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, microfinance was embraced in India through the SHG-bank linkage and later via private-sector MFIs. Over time, however, many microfinance programmes in India have faltered: high delinquency, over-indebtedness, lack of livelihood integration, and borrower distress have tarnished its reputation. This paper traces the genealogy of microfinance, contextualises its Indian adaptation, examines state-wise performance, analyses delinquency and PAR (Portfolio at Risk) data, and recounts cases of borrower distress and suicides. It diagnoses structural and regulatory failures and proposes a ten-point action plan to reframe microfinance as a tool of inclusive, sustainable development—particularly relevant for India’s ~1.46 billion population (2025 estimate). Policy prescriptions emphasise accountability, mutual guarantee, market linkages, data transparency, and borrower empowerment.
From Rome to the Field: Ground-Level Interventions for Agricultural Heritage, Food Security and Farmer Dignity
As FAO celebrates its 80th anniversary and honours a new cohort of 28 heritage agricultural systems across 14 countries—bringing the total globally recognised agricultural heritage sites to 102 in 29 countries — there is both a moment of celebration and a moment of responsibility. These heritage systems remind us that small-scale farmers, drawing on centuries of labour, knowledge and place-based adaptation, are at the heart of food security, biodiversity, rural resilience and cultural identity.
The Role of Millets in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security: Agronomic, Nutritional and Therapeutic Perspectives for Global Wellness
Millets — a botanically diverse group of small-seeded, drought-hardy grasses that include sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet and kodo millet — are re-emerging as strategic crops for sustainable agriculture, environmental resilience and public health. This paper draws together the agronomic, nutritional and clinical evidence on millets, with particular attention to their therapeutic relevance for lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity and coeliac disease. The evidence shows that millets combine a low glycaemic index, high dietary fibre, favourable lipid-modulating and anti-inflammatory phytochemistry, and an exceptional tolerance of drought and heat that requires far less water than rice or wheat. Together these properties make millets a practical, low-cost intervention for both climate adaptation and non-communicable disease prevention, particularly across the arid and semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa. The paper closes with ten policy recommendations addressed to national governments, public-health authorities and the international wellness community, aimed at mainstreaming millets within food-security and preventive-health strategy.
AI for Dignity: Revitalising Indian Agriculture from Distress to Resilience – A Policy Paper for the Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence, New Delhi – February 2026
Indian agriculture employs nearly half of the nation’s workforce yet remains trapped in a vicious cycle of low incomes, high drudgery, climate volatility, gender invisibility, occupational hazards, weak market power, chronic indebtedness, and alarming levels of psychological distress culminating in farmer suicides. This paradox—where those who feed the nation remain among its most vulnerable—represents one of the gravest policy failures of post-independence India. This paper argues that Artificial Intelligence (AI), if ethically governed and inclusively deployed, can become a transformative public good capable of restoring dignity, resilience, and remunerative value to Indian agriculture.
Crop Waste, Air Pollution, and Sustainable Transitions in Indian Agriculture: A Policy Paper
Crop waste management has emerged as one of the most consequential yet persistently neglected challenges in Indian agriculture and global sustainability governance. India generates over half a billion tonnes of agricultural residues annually, a substantial portion of which continues to be disposed of through open-field burning—most visibly in the rice–wheat systems of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. The resulting air pollution regularly engulfs Delhi and large parts of northern India, producing severe public health impacts, economic losses, ecological stress, and reputational costs for the country.
RECLAIMING CREDIBILITY:MODERNISING INDIA’S NATIONAL ACCOUNTSFOR A DYNAMIC AND TRUSTWORTHY ECONOMY(Policy Paper )
India stands today at a decisive inflection point. As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, its national statistical architecture must be robust, contemporary, and globally credible. Yet the recent IMF downgrading of India’s National Accounts Statistics (NAS) to a ‘C’ grade—the second-lowest category—has exposed long-standing structural vulnerabilities.
The IMF observed that India continues to rely on an outdated base year (2011–12), incomplete datasets, inconsistent methodologies, and delayed revisions that undermine reliability. A dynamic economy requires dynamic measurement. National accounts shape policy-making—forming the backbone of GDP estimation, GVA analysis, fiscal strategy, sectoral prioritisation, inflation targeting, and monetary policy.
Mega Banks for a Mega Economy?
India is set to restructure its public sector banks (PSBs) into three mega entities anchored around SBI, PNB, and Canara Bank. This consolidation aims to strengthen scale, competitiveness, and operational efficiency.
If executed effectively, these institutions could rank among the world’s top 25 banks, with assets between USD 500 billion and USD 1 trillion.
