Impact Investing Trends

(April-May, 2021)

India’s Decade of Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture: Part of the problem, part of the solution

As we hurtle towards a future where we will have to feed 10 billion by 2050, while combating the grave ramifications of climate change; a feasible plan of action needs to be urgently developed with solutions ranging from small changes in farming practices to full-stack sustainability ventures.

Jinesh Shah Co-founder and Managing Partner, Omnivore talks about their vision of re-inventing Indian agriculture and food systems with a focus on climate resilience and sustainability.

Noticing the acceleration of the digital transformation in agriculture coupled with the opportunity to reduce intermediaries, we have accelerated the pace of our investments.

Rajesh Ranjan (CEO, NAB Ventures) walks us through his Indian impact investing journey.

While there are a few family offices actively participating in the impact space, we can rest assured that this trend will continue to grow over the years. With impact investments generating competitive returns, there is a greater incentive to be involved. For those who have never ventured into the space, success stories from impact enterprises will surely be an inspiration to mobilize more investments.

Leena Dandekar (Founder, Raintree Family Office) shares their ESG and impact investing experience in India.

Smart Joules

Digitally-enabled energy services for industrial and commercial partners

Smart Joules’ solution helps alleviate energy poverty by optimising energy use and reducing energy waste in industries and other commercial organizations.

Dialogue with Omidyar Network India

One must anchor one’s impact measurement and management on a particular theory of change, rather than simply bean counting for the sake of reporting. We constantly ask ourselves, “For what will we use this data? What decision will this guide?

Varad Pande, (Partner, Strategy, Impact & New Initiatives, Omidyar Network India) and Ruchi Hanasoge (Senior Manager, Strategy & Impact, Omidyar Network India) share ONI’s impact management practice.

Every Impact Portfolio Should have a Climate Lens

We need to solve climate problems, not for the benefits it will create, but for the catastrophes it will avoid and the suffering that real adaptation measures can avert. We also need to solve the climate problem so that our own work and our portfolio companies remain viable.

Starlene Sharma, (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Green Artha) and Maya Chandrasekaran (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Green Artha) highlight the compelling need for impact investors to actively finance climate change related projects and investments.

Disclaimer: Data and Information in this newsletter is made available in good faith with the exclusive intention of helping market and ecosystem players, policymakers and the public build a greater understanding of the Indian impact investing market. The data is collated from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of publication. Readers are urged to exercise independent judgment and diligence in the usage of this information for any investment decisions

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