Description

How does a nonprofit grow from delivering school meals to transforming entire food systems?

This episode explores the remarkable journey of Naandi Foundation, one of India’s most influential social innovation organizations. Founded in 1998, Naandi set out to prove that poverty eradication could be tackled at scale through professional management, community participation, and cross-sector partnerships.

We trace Naandi’s evolution from early public-private collaborations in education and nutrition to pioneering hybrid models that blend nonprofit purpose with market mechanisms. The episode dives deep into four flagship innovations:

• Safe drinking water through Naandi Community Water Services, a sustainable village-level water kiosk model
• Araku Coffee, a globally celebrated social enterprise that transformed tribal livelihoods through regenerative agriculture and direct market access
• Education and nutrition, including large-scale Midday Meal operations and Project Nanhi Kali for girls’ education
• Gender-focused innovation, spanning skilling, sports, farming, and leadership for women and adolescent girls

We also examine how Naandi uses data and evidence—such as the landmark HUNGaMA and Teenage Girls (TAG) surveys—to influence national policy, while continuously refining its programs based on community feedback and evaluation.
Key discussion points include:

• How social enterprises can complement government systems
• Blended finance and public-private partnership models
• Scaling impact without losing community trust
• Lessons from building “Arakunomics,” a regenerative and inclusive economic model

This case study offers powerful insights into how social innovation ecosystems are built, scaled, and sustained—and what it takes to turn vulnerability into long-term resilience.

Key words

Naandi Foundation, Social Innovation in India, Public–Private Partnerships
Araku Coffee, Safe Drinking Water Models, Girls’ Education (Nanhi Kali), Regenerative Agriculture, Inclusive Development, Hybrid Social Enterprises, Poverty Alleviation, Gender Equity, Sustainable Livelihoods