India's social sector funding trends highlighted in the ‘India Philanthropy Report 2025’ | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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    India's social sector funding trends highlighted in the ‘India Philanthropy Report 2025’

    Posted 01 Mar 2025

    2 min read

    According to report, social sector spending in India stands at 6–7% of GDP annually, combining public and private contributions. 

    Key Highlights of Report

    • India’s social sector funding: Reached around ₹25 lakh crore in FY24 with 13% CAGR over last five years. It is projected to reach ₹ 45 lakh crore in FY29.
      • Rising economy, Indian diaspora and structural reforms are key factors behind this growth.
    • Key concerns:
      • Low private contribution: With only 5% of the total spending.
        • Private sector contributions came largely from family philanthropy from high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), and CSR. E.g. Heritage Project (2018) by Radha Goenka, Pride Fund (2025) by Godrej industries.
      • Funding Gap: Fund flow into India’s social sector fell short of NITI Aayog’s recommendation for 2023-24 by about ₹14 lakh crore.
        • NITI Aayog recommends social sector funding to be 13% of GDP. 

    Significance of philanthropy as a development tool in India

    • Bridging Funding Gaps: Supplement critical budgetary support given by governments.
    • Addressing Development Gaps: Such as poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare access.
      • E.g. Azim Premji Foundation enhances rural public education.
    • Catalyzing Innovation: Tech-driven initiatives like digital literacy programs/healthcare startups.
      • E.gBill & Melinda Gates Foundation focus on sanitation innovations aligning with Swachh Bharat Mission.

    Key Initiatives Promoting Social Sector Funding by Private Sector

    • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Companies Act of 2013 mandates companies to allocate 2% of their average net profits to CSR activities.
    • India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA): A network of leading nonprofit organizations to advance India's development agenda.
    • Social Stock Exchange (SSE) in India: Dedicated platform on the stock market, where social enterprises raise capital from public.
    • Tags :
    • Social Sector
    • Philanthropy
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