Philanthropy must focus on long-term systemic change, work closely with government systems and invest in people and institutions, Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group, says.

Speaking at the India Fundraising Conference organised by India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) in Delhi, Piramal said that business and philanthropy cannot be separated and should be guided by a shared purpose of creating positive impact. While the metrics and return on investment are important, social change often takes time and requires patience, sustained engagement and trust, he pointed out.

Piramal Foundation

Citing examples from Piramal Foundation supported education programmes in Rajasthan, he said long-term partnerships with government systems and continued investment led to measurable improvement in learning outcomes in such public schools. He emphasised that philanthropy should focus on demonstrating models that governments can scale, enabling change at population level.

Amit Chandra, Co-founder, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, said that systemic change requires long-term commitment and collaboration with public systems. He noted that working with government, rather than building parallel systems, allows solutions to scale and deliver sustained impact. He added that improving effectiveness of public spending and aligning philanthropic efforts with government priorities can create outcomes at scale across sectors such as education, health and livelihoods.

The two-day conference brings together philanthropists, non-profit leaders and funders to discuss capital, capacity, and collaboration required to scale social impact in India.

Fundraisers’ Network

The event also marked the launch of India’s first dedicated Fundraisers’ Network (TFN) for the fundraising community, aimed at unlocking capital, building capacity and enabling collaboration across the social sector. The platform has been developed as a shared resource for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers to access practice-based knowledge, tools and insights that can strengthen fundraising strategy and institutional growth.

“Fundraising is not a back-office function. It is a leadership capability that shapes ambition, strategy and sustainability. When leaders understand capital, organisations can think long term, engage funders as partners and build institutions that last. We hope this platform becomes a shared asset for the sector to learn, engage and strengthen how capital flows to social impact”, Anu Prasad, Founder and CEO, India Leaders for Social Sector, said.

The platform launch is part of ILSS’s broader work to build leadership capability and enable organisations to access strategic capital.