Desai & Associates

10/07/2024

Desai & Associates (D&A) in partnership with Nikore Associates, is proud to publish the "Toolkit for Gender Lens Investing: A Case Study on SAMRIDH Blended Finance Facility" run by IPE Global supported by USAID - US Agency for International Development. This is a first-of-its-kind toolkit that presents quantitative and qualitative ways to measure and improve gender inclusivity for an investment fund or an enterprise within the Indian context to compare GLI performance across entities, and to track improvements over time.

If you are an enterprise, an investment fund, or anyone interested in learning more about how women-led businesses can be supported and grown, you can find the report here: https://www.ipeglobal.com/gender-lens-investing-a-case.../

Kartik Desai

28/06/2024

🎉 Congratulations to ISDM on the Report Launch of "Navigating Outcomes-Based Financing in India: Perceptions of the Not-For-Profits" 🎉

We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of ISDM's groundbreaking report, “Navigating Outcomes-Based Financing in India: Perceptions of the Not-for-Profits.” This research is a significant step towards enhancing the effectiveness and reach of outcome based financing (OBF) in the social sector. Some key insights from the survey:

🔴 83% of the Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) who participated in the survey showed positive interest in exploring OBF
🔴 NPOs with high annual budget (INR10 crore+) give the highest importance to the benefits and risks of OBF compared to the ones with lower budget. Important to note that NPOs with such high budget have the necessary absorptive capacity required for OBF and additional financing through OBF may help in scaling their interventions.
🔴 NPOs perceive the financial risks of “inadequate working capital” and the “risk of funding being stopped halfway, if outcomes are not achieved” as the primary risks of OBF.

To read more: https://lnkd.in/gcdGyqsU

This report was one of the key outputs of Parinaam, India's first-of-its-kind multi-stakeholder collaborative platform to unlock innovative finance for development by bringing together all ecosystem stakeholders — donors, investors, NGOs, social enterprises, academia, and government. We are also excited to share the highlights and resources from the Parinaam Summit held in December 2023.

To read more: https://lnkd.in/gTaHjB2Y

15/05/2024

Nitin Desai, in his recent business standard editorial, "5 Priorities for Next Government" outlines critical focus areas for the incoming government amidst the backdrop of ongoing elections in India. As the country navigates through this pivotal electoral period, Mr. Desai stresses the necessity of stimulating private consumption and corporate investment, noting their declining growth rates that have been impacting economic activity. He emphasizes the urgent need for creating productive jobs, particularly advocating for policies that support small and medium industries to help them scale up. Furthermore, substantial improvements in education, skills development, and healthcare are deemed crucial to prepare the labor force for emerging job markets and enhance productivity. Mr. Desai also highlights the importance of effective federalism to manage regional disparities and promote inclusive growth. Addressing income inequality and enforcing workers' rights are highlighted as essential for improving wages and the bargaining power of workers.

Overall, he advocates for a development strategy that goes beyond fulfilling election promises to tackle long-term economic and social challenges, pushing for a shift towards more dynamic and inclusive governance, especially critical at a time when India is deciding its future leadership and policy direction through these elections.

Read the full report by clicking the following link: https://www.business-standard.com/opinion/columns/priorities-for-the-next-govt-124051301398_1.html

14/05/2024

Recently, Kartik Desai, the CEO of Desai & Associates, met with a delegation from the Saudi Impact Investment Fellowship during their visit to India.

The Fellowship, an initiative between جامعة الملك سعود - King Saud University and the Centre for Non-Profit Sector Development under the Saudi Arabian Government, included participants from various Saudi entities such as the Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Riyadh Municipality, the University of Hail, as well as developmental consultancy firms, NGOs, capacity-building organizations, startups, non-profit organizations, and social enterprises. Bringing together such a diverse group of stakeholders, including government, academia, NGOs, startups, and intermediaries indicates a comprehensive approach to addressing the needs and challenges within the impact sector in Saudi Arabia. We hope this kind of collaboration leads to innovative solutions and fosters a strong network of partnerships that support sustainable development and capacity building across various fields.

We were delighted to host and showcase our work in the innovative finance space across the spectrum from impact investing to blended finance to ESG. We hope the exchange inspires greater strides in impact investing in Saudi Arabia and lays the groundwork for future collaborations between our two nations on how to unlock development finance to create a more inclusive society.

10/04/2024

Don’t miss out on the SDG Investment Fair in New York hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) – a forum to explore and connect to SDG investment opportunities across the globe, featuring pioneering projects to make a better world.

The SDG Investment Fair launched by the United Nations in 2018 has advanced partnerships and tools to help countries attract and direct more resources toward their sustainable development priorities. To bridge the financing gap for the SDGs, private actors including development banks, institutional investors, and venture philanthropists are called upon to redouble efforts to innovate solutions to scale up finance for inclusive, green development.

Since its launch, over 130 projects have been presented at the UN’s Annual SDG Fair, amounting to over $50 billion in investment opportunities aiming to advance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The fair will be attended by government officials as well as representatives from the global private sector and civil society and is an excellent forum for networking and information sharing opportunities regarding global SDG financing.

Register below for the 9th edition of the Fair which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City from the 23rd to 25th of April 2024.

Desai & Associates is pleased to be collaborating with UNDESA on a range of initiatives relating to Finance for Development (F4D). Soon, we will be publishing a first of its kind study landscaping of impact investors in Asia and mapping them to suitable SDG projects. Sign up for the fair below and stay tuned for more updates on our page.

Register Now: https://lnkd.in/gvRVFtrS

See the the SDG Investment Fair video by clicking on the following link:
https://lnkd.in/g3hrjEZh



Kartik Desai

15/03/2024

Watch Episode #2 of the interview of Kartik Desai, the Founder and CEO of D&A, on In Pursuit Of..., a talk show that features leaders in social impact. In this episode, Kartik speaks about pioneering funds, intermediaries and blended finance structures and shares key insights from these transactions to build the social finance ecosystem.

Learn about how impact bonds work, the incredible work of Educate Girls, an NGO that encourages parents in Rajasthan to send their girls to school that was the recipient of the world's first ever Development Impact Bond (DIB). Blended finance facilities like the SAMRIDH Health fund managed by IPE Global Limited and funded by USAID - US Agency for International Development that provides low-cost debt to healthcare enterprises. The pioneering efforts of funders like UBS Optimus Foundation, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the British Asian Trust. Intermediaries like Asha Impact and The Blended Finance Company in building the market. Industry Associations like the Impact Investors Council (IIC) and AVPN that foster collaboration among the ecosystem. And the work of Desai & Associates in developing India's first ever Social Impact Bond and engaging with the government on policy advocacy and capacity building on innovative finance.

Watch the full Episode #2 by clicking this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76hNabzf0ps

To know more about the fundamentals of the spectrum of capital and the various mechanisms involved in pooling funding for development project, watch Episode #1 by clicking this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e6xo__bYHM&t=2s

Episode #3 that covers Kartik's personal journey, lessons and challenges over his careers will be out in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

Kartik Desai speaks about his work in innovative finance to unlock more capital for the development sector.All rights reserved. This video and its content ar...

07/03/2024

Hi friends,

D&A Founder & CEO, Kartik Desai was recently interviewed on In Pursuit Of.. a talk show hosted by Aparna Apte Gupta that shares the journeys and insights of role models in the social sector.

The first episode airs today on YouTube at 630pm IST with more episodes to follow in the coming weeks. Do tune in to watch, comment and share within your network to anyone interested in learning about how innovative finance can be used to promote inclusive development. Kartik shares his journey in this space, working with pioneering impact funders and enablers from Lok Capital and Aavishkaar to Asha Impact and now Desai & Associates.

Here is the link to view the interview: https://youtu.be/9e6xo__bYHM

06/02/2024

Shri. Ajit Kesari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Dept. of Finance, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, highlights the collaboration with organizations (NSE India, USAID, D&A, IPE Global Limited) to explore outcome-based funding areas. He emphasizes the role of NGOs in enhancing government efforts and the benefits of SSE listing for transparency in outcome-based funding.

To learn more about the Parinaam platform's comprehensive approach, bringing together donors, investors, NGOs, academia, and governments to tackle challenges and explore fresh funding prospects, please visit www.parinaam2023.org.

Watch the full video and other highlights from the summit by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmI3jLUYkok&list=PLURko71ru3_m6dvIQUDcanE6cpxylR009&index=16

MASH Project Foundation | Asha Impact | Industree Foundation | Dhwani RIS | BSEIndia | Indian School of Development Management - ISDM | ConveGenius | Villgro | Arthan Foundation | 360 ONE Foundation | British Asian Trust | Impact Investors Council | UnLtd India | AVPN | Michael and Susan Dell Foundation | India Leaders for Social Sector - ILSS | GuideStar India | ATE Chandra Foundation
Kartik Desai

Shri. Ajit Kesari, Additional Chief Secretary - Dept. of Finance, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh speaks about the Madhya Pradesh government's collaboration with var...

05/02/2024

Kartik Desai, Founder & CEO of Desai & Associates (D&A), presents D&A’s work in 'Advisory & Advocacy for Outcomes Finance.' D&A specializes in creating blended and outcome-based financing solutions for diverse capital providers and offers research and market-building services to improve sustainable development capital allocation.

Click the link below to learn more:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rji8nqa1e7zPbspQ3zxbwJeXpYzNF_zD/view

To learn more about the Parinaam platform's inclusive approach, uniting donors, investors, NGOs, academia, and governments to address challenges and explore new funding opportunities, please visit www.parinaam2023.org.

Watch the full video and other highlights from the Parinaam summit by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-hTPhpaAlo&list=PLURko71ru3_m6dvIQUDcanE6cpxylR009&index=14

MASH Project Foundation | Asha Impact | Industree Foundation | Dhwani RIS | BSEIndia | Indian School of Development Management - ISDM | ConveGenius | Villgro | Arthan Foundation | 360 ONE Foundation | British Asian Trust | Impact Investors Council | UnLtd India | AVPN | Michael and Susan Dell Foundation | India Leaders for Social Sector - ILSS | GuideStar India | ATE Chandra Foundation
Kartik Desai

01/02/2024

The launch of 'NGO Perspectives on OBF Report & Profile Database' presented by Dr. Ria Singha and Christie M. James from the Indian School of Development Management. In partnership with ISDM, Parinaam is launching a report on ‘NGO Perspectives on Outcome-Based Finance’ & 'Profile Database’ of NGOs that have the capacity & intent to explore entering into OBF transactions. Click here to learn more about the Profile book; Survey & Research Report, click the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDspipwCmyTZO5XPOfkNZkVm54_PPVPm/view?usp=drive_link

The profile database will be an opportunity to showcase your NGOs work to key funders in the ecosystem. Visit the official Parinaam website: www.parinaam2023.org to learn more.

Watch the full video and other highlights from the summit by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCbL5FPVJlQ&list=PLURko71ru3_m6dvIQUDcanE6cpxylR009&index=13

MASH Project Foundation | Asha Impact | Industree Foundation | Dhwani RIS | BSEIndia | Indian School of Development Management - ISDM | ConveGenius | Villgro | Arthan Foundation | 360 ONE Foundation | British Asian Trust | Impact Investors Council | UnLtd India | AVPN | Michael and Susan Dell Foundation | India Leaders for Social Sector - ILSS | GuideStar India | ATE Chandra Foundation
Kartik Desai

Back-to-back transaction and platform launches featuring industry leaders and practitioners highlighting the latest innovations in the OBF Ecosystem.Launch o...

25/01/2024

Ajaita Shah, Founder & Director of Frontier Innovations Foundation (FIF), presents the 'She Leads Bharat Development Impact Fund.' This initiative unites partners to create income opportunities for rural women through a development impact bond in Rajasthan, with the aim of generating $2 million for 3000 women entrepreneurs. FIF strives to become a global platform for women's economic empowerment. To understand more about FIF, click the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BzmnIfjHWLYDjFH7PChL2shYkpYYg7sg/view?usp=drive_link

To gain a thorough understanding of the Parinaam platform and its collaborative efforts encompassing donors, investors, NGOs, academia, and governments to address challenges and investigate new funding opportunities, please visit www.parinaam2023.org.

Watch the full video and other highlights from the summit by clicking the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeKfb-gSiMQ&list=PLURko71ru3_m6dvIQUDcanE6cpxylR009&index=12

MASH Project Foundation | Asha Impact | Industree Foundation | Dhwani RIS | BSEIndia | Indian School of Development Management - ISDM | ConveGenius | Villgro | Arthan Foundation | 360 ONE Foundation | British Asian Trust | Impact Investors Council | UnLtd India | AVPN | Michael and Susan Dell Foundation | India Leaders for Social Sector - ILSS | GuideStar India | ATE Chandra Foundation
Kartik Desai

Back-to-back transaction and platform launches featuring industry leaders and practitioners highlighting the latest innovations in the OBF Ecosystem.Launch o...