Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD)

Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) is SPJIMR’s approach to creating a positive and sustainable societal impact. CISD’s societal impact initiatives are focused on empowering the underprivileged segment of our local community through the Abhyudaya initiative, engaging with the social sector at the grassroots level through the Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC) and building managerial capacity in the social sector through the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM).

What's New

Education

CISD’s programmes aim to educate key stakeholders and build the individual and organisational capabilities required to drive the SDG agenda across all economic and social strata of society.

  • Modular Management Programmes

    PGPDM

    The Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM), introduced in 2011, is a highly subsidised 12-month modular programme for professionals working in or intending to work in the social sector, including social enterprises, NGOs, foundations, CSR functions of corporate for-profit organisations, and social policy or welfare departments of governments.

    Know more

Events

  • February 16, 2024

    BSIEM 2024

    SPJIMR CISD successfully concluded the India module of the Business and Social Impact in Emerging Markets (BSIEM) programme for 2024. SPJIMR is the Indian partner institute for the Business and Social Impact in Emerging Markets (BSIEM) programme. The programme offers enhanced learning by connecting students with various experiences, situations, problems and opportunities. It encourages them to tackle social problems by adopting sustainable approaches, which may include launching successful business models. The University/Institute partners share their expertise in adopting sustainable approaches and business models in the context of their respective countries. The chosen focus areas are Brazil – Social Innovation, Colombia – Bottom-of-Pyramid/Circular Economy, India – Adopting Sustainability, Russia – Challenges: ESG Agenda in Russia under sanctions, and Mexico – Technology for Social Entrepreneurs.

  • February 11, 2024

    Role of Women in Building a Sustainable Future

    On the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a Literary & Art Contest on “Role of Women in Building a Sustainable Future” was organised. The event followed the culmination of the Abhyudaya visits for the PGDM and PGDM (BM) Batch of 2023-25 and witnessed enthusiastic participation from over 100 Sitaras and their mentors.

  • Greenovate: Innovating Sustainable Change

    SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD), in collaboration with OJAS XVI, SPJIMR’s annual management festival, organised “Greenovate”, a sustainability-related event. The event allowed the participating teams to develop transformative solutions for real-world business challenges, making a tangible impact on our planet and its future. It witnessed the enthusiastic participation of over 550 students from various corners of India and embarked on a captivating journey.

  • Experiential learning for our participants working on ‘Digital Agri Technologies’ project

    SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Sumitomo Chemical India Limited (SCIL), organised a field visit to Nasik for participants working on the project on Digital Agri Technologies. SCIL is a leading player in the crop protection and agricultural solutions space, committed to empowering farmers with cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices. Their partnership with CISD, SPJIMR reflects their belief in bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world agricultural needs along with fostering innovation through academia-industry collaboration.

  • SPJIMR CISD hosts CII Roundtable, “Agri Digital Technology: The Segway to Agricultural Prosperity”

    The insightful roundtable brought together key stakeholders from agriculture sector to discuss the integration of digital technology and agriculture, emphasising the importance of talent, capital, technology, and policy alignment. The event highlighted India’s growing agritech startup landscape and the role of the agriculture sector in adopting many more emerging digital solutions.

  • CISD mangrove visit explores how corporates align people, profits and the planet

    Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) recently collaborated with Godrej and Boyce to conduct an informative half-day trip to the Godrej Pirojshanagar Mangrove forest in Vikhroli. Sixty-five participants from SPJIMR visited the 2000-acre green oasis in the heart of Mumbai. The dynamic ecosystem supports 16 species of mangrove, along with 209 birds, 82 butterflies, 81 spiders, 75 other insect species, 32 reptiles, and several mammal species, including the Golden Jackal, Wild Boar, and Indian Mongoose.

  • Beach Clean-Up Activity

    SPJIMR’s Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) regularly organises beach clean-up activities in collaboration with the well-known Afroz Shah Foundation (ASF) on Mumbai’s Versova beach. This Foundation has been removing and recycling an average of 368,404 pieces of plastic and 378,351 kgs of garbage per week through their various beach clean-up drives across Mumbai, including Borivali forest, Mithi river, Dana Pani Beach, Versova Beach, and remote islands.

  • Greenovate: Innovating Sustainable Change

    SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) and Tata Power partnered exclusively for the first edition of “Greenovate,” a special Sustainability Challenge. The objective of this challenge was to find innovative business solutions aimed at advancing the sustainability agenda of the company, which is now a major player in the field of renewable energy. More than 550 college students across India participated in “Greenovate.”

  • Experiential learning with SPJIMR CISD

    For participants working on agricultural technology initiatives involving blockchain and IoT as well as drones, greenhouses, and multispectral imaging (MSI), SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) organised a trip to Vadgaon village near Nasik.

  • Ehsaas

    Ehsaas is a NGO mela organised by SPJIMR DoCC to celebrate the spirit of economic self-sufficiency achieved through the perseverance of artisans, Self Help Groups (SHGs), and NGOs.

  • Aasra

    SPJIMR DoCC’s annual event Aasra is an inclusive sport and cultural fest for differently-abled individuals.

Initiatives

  • Empowering the underprivileged segment of our local community

    Abhyudaya
    The Abhyudaya initiative started in 2008, works to empower underprivileged communities from lower-income neighbourhoods in Mumbai’s ‘K-Ward’ around the SPJIMR campus. Abhyudaya provides mentoring, enrichment activities, and financial support to underprivileged students (fondly called ‘Sitaras’ or ‘stars’), their families and schools.

    Know more

  • Engaging with the social sector at the grassroots level

    The Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC) initiative, started in the 1990s, engages with hundreds of NGOs through mandatory student internships, fairs, and discussion forums that provide market access and learning opportunities to NGOs and through awards that recognise innovation in the social sector. Over the years, the SPJIMR community has engaged with 500+ social sector organisations across 26 Indian states and international agencies across Bangladesh and Nepal through the DoCC initiative.

    Know more

    Research on Agri-based Livelihoods Initiative

    CISD research affiliates, who are also SPJIMR faculty members specialising in multiple disciplines, are pursuing various research opportunities, including academic research and case studies/policy papers on the social exemplar, Lakhpati Kisan. The Lakhpati Kisan programme has been implemented amongst small and marginal farmer households in tribal districts of Central India by Collectives for Integrated Livelihoods (CInL). It has successfully alleviated the participating farmers irreversibly out of poverty.

  • Awards and Fellowships

    Social Impact Awards

    Social Impact Awards is an annual event organised by SPJIMR DoCC which recognises and celebrates the contribution of exemplary social sector organisations and enterprises.

    Know more

    Social Impact Grants

    SPJIMR Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC), in partnership with M3M Foundation, awards substantial grants to partner organisations influencing social impact in geographies and communities where they work. The grants will be awarded to select organisations that have partnered with DoCC for rural internship projects.

    Know more

    Regunath Research Fellowship in Social Citizenship and Management

    The fellowship is an initiative of SPJIMR’s DoCC. It is funded by Mr. Deepak Regunath, SPJIMR alumni and is in memory of his late father, Mr. Regunath Ganesan. 

    Know more

  • International Citizenry - UN and other international collaborations

    BSIEM

    SPJIMR is the Indian partner institute for the Business and Social Impact in Emerging Markets (BSIEM) programme. The programme offers enhanced learning by connecting students with a variety of experiences, situations, problems and opportunities. It encourages them to tackle social problems by adopting sustainable approaches, which may include launching successful business models. The University/Institute partners share their expertise in adopting sustainable approaches and business models in the context of their respective countries. The chosen focus areas are Brazil – Social Innovation, Colombia – Bottom-of-Pyramid/Circular Economy, India – Adopting Sustainability, Russia – Challenges: ESG Agenda in Russia under sanctions, and Mexico – Technology for Social Entrepreneurs.

    PRME

    Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) is a learning community of business schools committed to weaving its six core principles into business and management. SPJIMR DoCC hosts the PRME India Chapter event every year. Chandrika Parmar, Director DoCC, is the current chair of the UN PRME India Chapter.

    Know more

Dishaa: CISD’s Vision towards a Sustainable Future

March 2024 November 2023

Subscribe to CISD’s newsletter Dishaa, for regular updates and event announcements

    Publications

    20 Jun 2024

    Conceptual framework of factors enhancing sustainability-oriented innovations

    Alpana Taneja, Vinay Goyal & Kunjana Malik Know more
    19 Jun 2024

    Role of ESG and private equity on environmental degradation: a nexus of opportunity and responsibility for developing and developed countries

    Kunjana Malik & Sakshi Sharma Know more
    19 Jun 2024

    The impact of renewable energy on inflation in G7 economies: Evidence from artificial neural networks and machine learning methods

    Long Zhang, Hemachandra Padhan, Sanjay Kumar Singh & Monika Gupta Know more
    15 May 2024

    Interest subvention for crop loans in India: Win-win or win-lose?

    Disha Bhanot, Vivek Farias & Deeksha Sinha Know more
    6 May 2024

    Sustainable leadership: Navigating the green transformation in modern business

    Ashneet Kaur & Sudhanshu Maheshwari Know more
    19 Apr 2024

    Asude’s digital social innovation for improving learning outcomes

    Alka Agarwal & Jyoti Jagasia Know more
    13 Apr 2024

    Increasing adoption of biofertilizers in India: problems faced by Indian farmers

    V Shankar & Ashish Gupta (PGDM participant) Know more
    13 Mar 2024

    Trendy fashion is not always great for the planet, but circular fashion choices can help

    Prabhat Pani & Sunita Chandak Know more
    28 Dec 2023

    BAEL: Can pivoting to blockchain help the early-stage agritech startup in India?

    KC Shyam, Sushmita Srivastava, & Lijo John Know more
    15 Oct 2023

    Charting the path toward a greener world: A review of facilitating and inhibiting factors for carbon neutrality

    Shalini Talwar, Amandeep Dhir, Adeel Luqman, Jaya Gupta & Ritika Gugnani Know more
    21 Sep 2023

    Paani Foundation: A gamified approach to water crisis in rural India

    Pallavi Mody, Sushmita Srivastava & Shyam KC Know more
    12 Jul 2023

    Analyzing the food waste reduction intentions of UK households. A Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) theory perspective

    Muhammad Danish Habib, Puneet Kaur, Veenu Sharma & Shalini Talwar Know more
    1 Jul 2023

    Resistance of multiple stakeholders to e-health innovations: Integration of fundamental insights and guiding research paths

    Shalini Talwar, Amandeep Dhir, Nazrul Islam, Puneet Kaur & Ahlam Almusharraf Know more
    12 Jun 2023

    Different strokes for different folks: Comparative analysis of 3D printing in large, medium and small firms

    Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar, Nazrul Islam, Rasha Alghafes, & Saeed Badghish Know more
    11 Jun 2023

    Disruptive digital innovations in healthcare: Knowing the past and anticipating the future

    Umesh Bamel, Shalini Talwar, Vijay Pereira, Laura Corazza & Amandeep Dhir Know more
    1 Aug 2023

    Lakhpati Kisan programme: Boosting the income of marginal farmers through women empowerment

    Mihir Ajgaonkar & Tanvi Mankodi Know more
    17 Jun 2023

    Biodiversity: The next sustainability frontier for Indian business

    Prabhat Pani Know more
    22 Jun 2023

    Tackling plastic pollution: For-profits, non-profits and citizens does matter!

    Prabhat Pani Know more
    16 Jun 2023

    The ever-growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans

    Prabhat Pani & Sunita Chandak Know more
    23 May 2023

    Why India should lead the millet revolution

    Prabhat Pani & Akshita Agrawal (PGDM participant) Know more
    18 Apr 2023

    Can better water management lead to an increase in agricultural income? Inferences from the Lakhpati Kisan Program of Tata Trusts

    Sushmita Srivastava, Amit Kumar Singh (PGDM-BM participant) & Yash Kamdar (PGDM-BM participant) Know more
    6 Apr 2023

    Shree Anna, the superfood: India's millet mission for healthier, sustainable future

    V Shankar Know more
    22 Mar 2023

    Wake up, India – but, wash your face with limited water!

    Prabhat Pani Know more
    8 Mar 2023

    Empowered rural women as silent change agents: Learnings from the Lakhpati Kisan Program of Tata Trust

    Sushmita Srivastava & Harshita Mallareddy (PGDM-BM participant) Know more
    3 Mar 2023

    SDG-embeddedness in business school operations: State-of-the-art literature, ground realities, and measurement parameters

    Shalini Talwar, Amandeep Dhir, Arun Madanaguli & Peter Ractham Know more
    27 Feb 2023

    The great melting and eventual sinking: Have we reached the point of no return?

    Shalini Talwar & Aryan Sugla (PGDM participant ) Know more
    18 Jan 2023

    Transformation of supply chain management to green supply chain management: Certain investigations for research and applications

    Neha Saini, Kunjana Malik, & Sakshi Sharma Know more
    12 Jan 2023

    Survival and sustenance strategy of primary agricultural cooperative credit societies in India: a fuzzy interpretive structural modelling approach

    Debadutta Kumar Panda, Kaushik Bhattacharjee, Debmallya Chatterjee, Sankarshan Basu Know more
    9 Jan 2023

    The relationship between international trade in industry 4.0 products and national-level sustainability performance: An empirical Investigation

    Arindam Das Know more
    14 Dec 2022

    Elephants are also your business if you are in the plantation industry in India

    Prabhat Pani Know more
    13 Dec 2022

    Mitigating Climate Change Requires Innovative Solutions

    Prabhat Pani Know more
    1 Nov 2022

    Emotions and food waste behavior: Do habit and facilitating conditions matter?

    Fauzia Jabeen, Amandeep Dhir, Nazrul Islam, Shalini Talwar, & Armando Papa Know more
    10 Mar 2022

    Exploring the effects of import diversification on energy efficiency: Evidence from the OECD economies

    Buhari Dogan, Diogo Ferraz, Monika Gupta, Toan Luu Duc Huynh & Irum Shahzadi Know more
    23 Aug 2022

    Digital transformation of healthcare sector. What is impeding adoption and continued usage of technology-driven innovations by end-users?

    Shilpa Iyannaa, Puneet Kaur, Peter Ractham, Shalini Talwar & A.K.M.Najmul Islam Know more
    30 Jul 2022

    Balancing food waste and sustainability goals in online food delivery: Towards a comprehensive conceptual framework

    Amit Shankar, Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar Nazrul Islam & Piyush Sharma Know more
    29 Jul 2022

    Virtual reality tourism to satisfy wanderlust without wandering: An unconventional innovation to promote sustainability

    Shalini Talwar, Puneet Kaurb, Octavio Escoba & SaiLane Know more
    20 Jul 2022

    Green supply chain management in manufacturing firms: A resource-based viewpoint

    Mehmood Khan, Mian M. Ajmal, Fauzia Jabeen, Shalini Talwar & Amandeep Dhir Know more
    20 Jun 2022

    Diving into the uncertainties of open innovation: A systematic review of risks to uncover pertinent typologies and unexplored horizons

    Arun Madanaguli, Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar, Thomas Clauss, Sascha Kraus, Puneet Kaur Know more
    18 Jan 2022

    Chapter 5: The labor participation of persons with disabilities in India: journey from the old to the new act (1995-2016)

    Amit Jain & Shreyashi Chakraborty Know more
    6 Jan 2022

    Green offering: More the centrality, greater the scepticism

    ShabbirHusain R.V. Know more
    3 Jan 2022

    Tata Power CSR: The paradigm shift for sustainability

    Bikramjit Ray Chaudhuri, Preeta George, Nirja Mattoo & Jeenal Shah Know more
    7 Dec 2021

    Assessing blockchain-based innovation for the “Right to Education” using MCDA approach of value-focused thinking and fuzzy cognitive maps

    Sarah Ashok Sonje, Rohan Sanjay Pawar, Shekhar Shukla
    31 Oct 2021

    National Education Policy 2020- Enhancing social cohesion and sustainable development

    Nirja Mattoo Know more
    22 Oct 2021

    Danone: Leading change by rejigging purpose?

    Tulsi Jayakumar & Surya Tahora Know more
    21 Aug 2021

    Understanding consumer preference between bundled and unbundled green offering

    ShabbirHusain R.V., Sanjeev Varshney, Pingali Venugopal & Munish Thakur Know more
    29 Jun 2021

    Leveraging blockchain technology for Indian healthcare system: An assessment using value-focused thinking approach

    Rashmi G. Shukla, Anuja Agarwa & Vidhu Shekhar Know more
    11 May 2021

    SPJIMR student wins Tata social enterprise challenge

    Prabhat Pani Know more
    1 Feb 2021

    Migration, trade and investment: Towards a new common concern of humankind

    Thomas Cottier, Anirudh Shingal Know more
    15 Dec 2020

    Serum Institute of India: COVID-19 vaccine pricing

    Malay Krishna & Sunny Arora Know more
    10 Nov 2020

    Food subsidy distribution system through blockchain technology: A value focused thinking approach for prototype development

    Rohan Sanjay Pawar, Sarah Ashok Sonje, & Shekhar Shukla Know more
    10 Nov 2020

    Assessing the effectiveness of total foreign aid and foreign energy aid inflows on environmental quality in India

    Mantu Kumar Mahalik, Muhammed Ashiq Villanthenkodath, Hrushikesh Mallick & Monika Gupta Know more
    10 Oct 2020

    The role of humanity in healthcare

    Jagdish Rattanani Know more
    18 Sep 2020

    ITC Hotels: Is responsible luxury sustainable?

    Malay Krishna & Pooja Mhapsekar Know more
    26 Aug 2020

    Review of literature on green consumer behaviour over 25 years (1994-2018)

    ShabbirHusain R.V. Know more
    30 Apr 2020

    Demonetization and digital payments in India: Perception and reality

    Manisha Chakrabarty, Ashutosh Jha & Partha Ray Know more
    1 Feb 2020

    Factors affecting quality of schools in India

    Bishwaroop Ghosh, Goutam Panigrahi & Debmallya Chatterjee Know more
    24 Sep 2019

    Sustainability policies for the fashion industry: A comparative study of Asian and European brands

    Anupama Gupta Know more
    15 Oct 2018

    The Muktangan story (Part A): An organizational study; and The Muktangan story (Part B): Winds of Change

    Mihir Ajgaonkar & Keith D'Souza Know more
    25 Jun 2018

    Livelihoods for women: Multi-agency models in India

    K G Karmakar, Nirja Mattoo, & M.Suresh Rao Know more
    7 Aug 2018

    Giving is a Very Serious Business

    Prabhat Pani Know more

    • May 18, 2021

      'SPJIMR student wins Tata social enterprise challenge’

    Blogs

    May 24, 2024

    Circularity in the age of technology

    Abhinav Khetarpal, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    April 26, 2024

    AI: A powerful ally in the fight against climate change

    Abhishek Kumar, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    March 15, 2024

    “Sustainable” fast fashion decoded

    Nupur Gulati, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    March 4, 2024

    Sustainable practices in small-scale farming

    Rhea Verma, PGDM-BM 2023-25 Know more
    March 4, 2024

    Can India's traditional crafts inspire sustainable choices?

    Aakriti Khurania, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    February 9, 2024

    Eating for the Earth: A sustainable approach to food choices

    Abhinav Shukla, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    February 7, 2024

    Drowning in imports: Can India find a way out of its edible oil deficit?

    Vaibhav Singh, PGDM (BM) 2023-25 Know more
    January 17, 2024

    Healthy tomorrow, sustainable healthcare today

    Krishnendra, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    January 16, 2024

    Miyawaki Forests – The Answer to India’s Urban Environment Crises?

    Eesh Jain, PGDM (BM) 2023-25 Know more
    December 26, 2023

    Women’s Livelihoods and India@100: How did women fare in the first Amrit Kaal Budget?

    Prabhat Pani & Mitali Nikore Know more
    December 14, 2023

    Dark data and green computing

    Rohit Roy, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    December 8, 2023

    Sustainable Futures: India’s development journey, coupled with sustainability

    Anand Choudhury, PGDM 2023-25 Know more
    November 3, 2023

    Disruptive digital innovation in healthcare: Understanding and overcoming the resistance

    Shalini Talwar & Urmila Girish Know more
    September 25, 2023

    Leveraging the Union Budget 2023-24: Opportunities for India’s social sector

    Shalini Talwar, Sukriti Anand & Mitali Nikore Know more
    April 21, 2023

    The Indian perspective – An emerging nation’s take on carbon neutrality

    Prakhar Malik , PGDM 2022 – 2024   Know more
    April 3, 2023

    Sustainable development and ChatGPT: Some meaningful conversations

    Shalini Talwar Know more
    March 31, 2023

    Innovative Ways in Which India is Tackling Plastic Pollution!

    Pooja Jagadish Ugale,  PGDM 2022 – 2024 Know more
    March 23, 2023

    Forest Fires Disrupting Ecosystems

    Kishan Dhanrajani, PGDM-2022 - 2024 Know more
    March 23, 2023

    Feeding India Sustainably: Overcoming the Next Set of Challenges in Agriculture

    Manan Dhanuka, PGDM-2022 - 2024 Know more
    March 22, 2023

    Achieving 2030 Agenda: Need to balance the Janus Face of Innovation

    Shalini Talwar Know more
    March 10, 2023

    Global Risks and Innovation: Is it time to account for the dark side?

    Shalini Talwar Know more
    March 9, 2023

    Decoding Sustainable Financing

    Anahita Patange, PGDM 2022-24 Know more
    March 8, 2023

    The inspirational story of mangrove conservation

    Sharveya Baxi, PGDM 2022-24 Know more
    March 8, 2023

    Are electric vehicles really green?

    Ashish Samanta, PGDM (BM) 2022-24 Know more
    March 4, 2023

    The ‘Bad Taste’ of Good Food

    Dhruvin Zaveri, PGDM 2022-24 Know more
    February 24, 2023

    DLF: India’s attempt at Green Real-estate

    Anuvrat Anand, PGDM 2022-24 Know more
    February 24, 2023

    Biodiesel is the future fuel for automobiles!

    Kshitij Puniyani, PGDM (BM) 2022-24 Know more
    February 21, 2023

    Green Supply Chains: Accelerating Decarbonization through Data & Digital Tech

    Debrup Poddar, PGDM 2021-23 Know more
    February 6, 2023

    India’s energy policy: Balancing the energy mix in India

    Tushar Goel, PGDM (BM) 2022-24 Know more
    February 6, 2023

    Happiness Through Sustainability

    Ravi Bhai Patel, PGDM 2022-24 Know more
    February 6, 2023

    Community-led problem solving: A solution to the Maharashtra water crisis

    Pranav Bharti, PGDM 2022-24 Know more
    February 6, 2023

    Benefits of digitisation and fund-raising possibilities for small/medium NGOs

    Prabhat Pani Know more

    Reports

    Leveraging the Union Budget: A guide for the social sector

    SPJIMR Centre of Innovation and Sustainable Development (CISD) prepared this report to help social sector organisations evaluate the impact of the Union Budget 2023-24 and harness government support.

    Know more

    Webinars

    • Social Sector Samvaad

      Social Sector Samvaad Episode 5

      In this episode, Deepankar Panda, Co - founder and Chief Product Officer, ImpactDash, discusses impact measurement and management in social sector interventions. He highlighted the importance of context, a structured research-based approach, and strategies for monitoring progress and making adaptive changes.

      Social Sector Samvaad Episode 4

      The fourth edition of the Social Sector Samvaad webinar series on storytelling hosted by the Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD) was designed for people working in the social sector. It focused on teaching them how to tell stories effectively to bring about positive changes in people's behaviour. Participants learned practical strategies and skills to use storytelling as a powerful tool for communication in the social sector. The workshop aimed to show that good communication through storytelling is crucial for making a real impact on social causes.

      Social Sector Samvaad Episode 3

      The third edition of the CISD Social Sector Samvaad webinar series explored the potential of design thinking to address social sector challenges. The webinar offered development sector professionals an understanding of the human-centric, problem-solving approach to generate viable ideas to test and iterate to build solutions with real impact.

      Social Sector Samvaad Episode 2

      The second session of “Social Sector Samvaad,” a webinar series hosted by the Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD), explored the opportunities present in the Union Budget 2023-24 and how the social sector could harness these provisions. The different schemes available for the social sector under the five main pillars of Human Capital Development, Health and Welfare, Structural Inequalities, Social Infrastructure, and Livelihoods were covered.

      Social Sector Samvaad Episode 1

      SPJIMR's "Centre of Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD)" launched “Social Sector Samvaad”, its first series of webinars to disseminate relevant knowledge and skills to help build the capacity of NGOs. The series presents insightful conversations with social sector experts about new developments, wise innovation practices, and challenges in the social sector, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized NGOs.

      The launch episode of “Social Sector Samvaad” on “Why NGOs should have a digital presence, and how digitisation could help them in fund-raising” featured Chet Jainn, Founder, Crowdera Foundation, and was hosted by Prof. Prabhat Pani, Executive Director, CISD, SPJIMR.

    Podcasts

    • Sustainable Futures Episode 2: Conservation of India’s Privately-owned Mangroves, by Godrej & Boyce

      In our new episode of the  Podcast Series ‘Sustainable Futures’ Prabhat Pani, Executive Director, CISD, is in conversation with Anil G. Verma, Executive Director & CEO of Godrej & Boyce. In this thought-provoking podcast episode, we delve into the topic of India’s privately owned mangroves and the efforts to preserve them. Tune in now and be part of the conversation.  

    • Sustainable Futures, Episode 1: Tata Coffee's Sustainable Journey

      Very few corporates worldwide can claim to sequester ten times the carbon they generate in their operations. From zero depletion of groundwater in their operations, mitigating human-elephant conflict to digitally tagging its coffee bushes and scientifically assessing climate change for itself and the coffee-growing community, Tata Coffee has walked the talk on corporate sustainability. In the first episode, Mr Chacko Thomas, MD and CEO of Tata Coffee, in conversation with Prabhat Pani, Executive Director, SPJIMR Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD), discusses how Tata Coffee has raised the bar on sustainability initiatives by corporates. The series is brought to you by SPJIMR’s Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD).

    Team

    Chandrika Parmar

    Director, DoCC and UNPRME India Chapter Chair

    Tanojkumar Meshram

    Chairperson, PGPDM

    Read more

    Arati Nagaraj

    Director, Abhyudaya

    Clinical Faculty

    Anjali Kanitkar

    Member Board of Trustees, Aroehan

    Veera Dikshit

    Visiting Faculty, SPJIMR

    Shalabh Sahai

    Co-Founder & Director, iVolunteer

    Sumeet Patil

    CEO and Research Director, NEERMAN

    Swapan Garain

    Volunteer and Mentor, Community FootPrints

    Nishit Kumar

    Founder and Managing Director, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change Communication

    • People

      • Key Leadership

        • Prabhat Pani

          Prabhat Pani is the Executive Director of the Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD). He was the head of the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM) earlier. Prabhat possesses almost 40 years of experience in handling positions of responsibility in for-profit organisations in FMCG, Telecom, and Hospitality spaces, as well as in philanthropy. He holds a management degree from IIM Ahmedabad.

        • Tanojkumar Meshram

          Tanojkumar heads the PGPDM programme and is an Associate Professor, Public Policy, Department of General Management at SPJIMR. Tanoj is a public policy, education, and development professional and researcher with over 20 years of experience in government, academia, and the social sector. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Policy from The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, USA, and has a Master’s in Public Management and Policy from IIM Ahmedabad.

        • Arati Nagaraj

          Arati is the Director, Abhyudaya at SPJIMR. An educationist with over 30 years of experience, Arati’s expertise lies in leveraging technology to develop innovative learning programmes. In the past she has worked with global companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Uber. In her previous role as Principal of Purkal Youth Development Society in Dehradun, she was recognised for redesigning the curriculum, implementing new teaching methodologies and raising funds.

        • Shalini Talwar

          Talwar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Finance and Economics, and also the Research Lead, CISD at SPJIMR. With a Ph.D. in Management Studies and MBA in Finance & Marketing, Shalini has a cumulative work experience of 25 years in industry and academia. Her professional interests span three key domains – teaching, research, and editorial responsibilities. A researcher committed to cross-functional and multi-disciplinary studies, Shalini’s published and ongoing work focuses on contemporary areas including but not limited to sustainability, innovation, pro-environmental behaviour, investor and firm behaviour, and digital disruptions.  

        • V Shankar

          V Shankar is Executive in Residence, CISD. He possesses 45 years of rich industry experience including long stints in Unilever and in the Tata Group. Shankar’s previous role was the MD and CEO of Rallis India, post which he helped establish a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Excellence as a Tata Group initiative. He is a Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, Company Secretary, Law Graduate, and alumnus of IMD Lausanne, Switzerland.

        • Chandrika Parmar

          Chandrika Parmar holds a Ph.D. from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, UK, with a specialisation in Management Research. She is an enthusiastic educator with a deep interest in research areas specific to social sciences. She has 30 years of overall experience, wherein she has been engaged with leading academic institutions and research organisations in leadership roles. At SPJIMR, Chandrika is an Associate Professor, General Management and Director, Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC).

      • Research Affiliates

        • Akansha Misra

          Assistant Professor
          Department of Operations, Supply Chain Management & Quantitative Methods, SPJIMR

        • Lijo John

          Assistant Professor
          Department of Operations, Supply Chain Management & Quantitative Methods, SPJIMR

        • Mihir Ajgaonkar

          Associate Professor
          Department of Organisation & Leadership Studies, SPJIMR

        • Sushmita Srivastava

          Associate Professor
          Department of Organisation & Leadership Studies, SPJIMR

        • Tanvi Mankodi

          Assistant Professor
          Department of Organisation & Leadership Studies, SPJIMR, and
          Lead, Teaching Excellence & Teaching Development, SPJIMR

      • Clinical Faculty

        • Anjali Kanitkar

          Anjali Kanitkar is an Associate Professor at the College of Social Work, Mumbai. She teaches graduate and post-graduate courses in Community Organisation, Social Policy and Planning and Ecology. She was a Director of Social Audit in the Government of Maharashtra till 2020. She has completed her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Mumbai and M.A. in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

        • Veera Dikshit

          Veera Dikshit has over 28 years of experience in the corporate sector across a wide range of sales and marketing disciplines, including partner and alliance management for enterprise clients in India/ Asia. In her last assignment at Thomson Reuters, Veera led business development for the corporate segment in India/ South Asia and was part of the leadership team at Thomson Reuters.

        • Nishit Kumar

          Nishit Kumar is the Founder and MD at Centre for Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBC3), a section 8 non-profit public company and India’s first non-profit dedicated to integrating SBCC methods with interventions.

        • Shalabh Sahai

          Shalabh Sahai began his journey by co-founding iVolunteer in 2001 and continues to lead it today as the largest social enterprise for formal volunteering in India, counting marquee corporate names as its partners. He is also credited with creating iVolunteer Awards, India’s only awards that inspire and establish new benchmarks in volunteering.

        • Sumeet Patil

          He is currently working as CEO and Research Director at NEERMAN, an independent non-profit organisation that provides engineering, economics and policy solutions in the environment and health sectors. He has also worked with the Water and Sanitation Program at the World Bank as Co-Principal and Investigator for the health impact evaluation of total sanitation campaigns.

        • Swapan Garain

          Swapan Garain is a social entrepreneur, social scientist, social work educator, trainer, social business mentor, and non-profit manager. With more than four decades of service to society, he has been engaged in helping set up and manage foundations and family trusts, guiding corporate for their social responsibility initiatives, facilitating government policy-making, appraising projects for funding, teaching university students, training change agents, doing field action research, writing, consulting, networking among social sector stakeholders, and promoting of social entrepreneurship.

      • Key Administrator

        • Sunita Chandak

          Sunita the key administrator of CISD has worked for more than 11 years in diverse sectors including education, media and events. She is a commerce graduate from the University of Calcutta.

    Partners

    • Key Partners

      Vijasu Ecotec

      CISD has partnered with Vijasu Ecotec, a Mumbai-based ESG-focused organisation dedicated to ‘Sustainable Agriculture.’ Vijasu Ecotec specializes in developing technology and products through extensive research, positively impacting farm productivity and soil health. In collaboration, students are working on a project to establish an online marketplace for DPV Bio Stimulants. The project’s key objectives include competitor analysis, market segmentation, demand analysis, marketplace expansion assessment, traction evaluation, and SEO enhancement. This partnership aims to explore market dynamics, assess online sales potential, and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable future.

      Dvara-E Registry

      SPJIMR’s CISD has entered an innovative collaboration with Dvara E-Registry, a key player working with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and their member farmers in rural India. Dvara E-Registry, an AgFinTech start-up utilises a range of technologies such as Remote Sensing, AI, and ML to deliver invaluable, farm-specific current and historical data through advanced analytics. This facilitates farmer financing and empowers organisations like FPOs to make well-informed business decisions. Through this collaboration, the students get the opportunity to explore the possibilities and potential for Farmer Producer Companies to leverage social media and e-commerce platforms leveraging Dvara’s offering.

      Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd

      As part of the CISD committee at SPJIMR, students are being mentored by Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd, a leading provider of crop protection, grain fumigation, rodent control, bio pesticides, environmental health, professional pest control, and feed additives. The mentorship focuses on addressing key challenges such as chatbot fluency, news access, and the digital divide across communities. The goal is to discover solutions that enhance technology and communication for all.

      Syngenta Foundation India (SFI)

      We have partnered with Syngenta Foundation India (SFI) to study and research their flagship initiative Agri-Entrepreneurship (AE) programme.  The AE Model aims to develop and anchor self-sustainable Agri-Entrepreneurs to provide agriculture services to smallholder farmers, generating rural employment, improving agricultural incomes and practices, and furthering environmental sustainability. CISD will investigate the initiative to generate teaching-learning material, knowledge production, and policy issues for advocacy in the public interest. A research is underway to assess the efficacy of the AE training programme, particularly with regard to women. The focus is to understand how the AE training programme contributes to the development of an entrepreneurial attitude.

      Ivy Cap Ventures, and Ivy Camp

      SPJIMR’s CISD has partnered with Ivy Cap ventures and Ivy Camp to provide students with exposure on evaluating startups for investment in the Agritech space. The engagement involves activities including an interactive session to discuss investment criteria, evaluation of startups in the Agritech space, and discussions with Agritech startup founders to understand key factors that affect technology-related decisions in the Agritech space.

      Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI)

      In collaboration with CInI, an organisation dedicated to working closely with the tribal and rural communities in Central India to meet their aspirations, our partnership focuses on providing students with the chance to assess the value proposition and market potential of biofertilizers and bio-slurry from the waste to energy to agriculture perspective, along with examining policies to promote their adoption. These analyses contribute to the broader implementation of CInI’s Sustain+ approach, along with understanding the community perspectives for adoption and scale —an open-source platform for sustainable energy access in poverty alleviation initiatives in India.

      Mahindra and Mahindra

      CISD has established a collaboration with Mahindra and Mahindra Limited to partner on activities focused on agri-business technologies, and entrepreneurship. In the first engagement, Mahindra and Mahindra has commissioned two projects for SPJIMR students to learn about Business Process Evaluation of agri models in the Agri-tech space, as well as evaluation of technologies used by Agri-tech Startups.

      Pune Knowledge Cluster Foundation (PKCF)

      CISD has collaborated with the Pune Knowledge Cluster Foundation (PKCF) towards the aim of making the SPJIMR campus carbon neutral. The engagement started with formation of ‘Carbon Neutral Campus (CNC)’ team within SPJIMR, and initial orientation/training to work towards establishing the baseline status of the SPJIMR campus on carbon neutrality.

    Vlogs

    • Sustainable Resolutions for 2024

      CISD presents an insightful guide to eco-friendly living and conscious choices for a sustainable 2024.

    • World Ozone Day

      On this World Ozone Day this vlog presents key insights from our PGDM 2022-24, participant Kishan Dhanrajani’s blog that delves into the pressing issue of forest fires and their far-reaching impact on the ozone layer and our environment.

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    • International Plastic Bag Free Day

      The video presents insights shared by its Executive Director Prabhat Pani in his article, “Tackling plastic pollution: For-profits, non-profits and citizens does matter!” to commemorate the International Plastic Bag Free Day.

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    • World Food Safety Day

      This video presents salient points from our PGDM 2022-24 participant, Manan Dhanuka’s blog, “Feeding India sustainably: Overcoming the next set of challenges in agriculture”. In his blog, Manan notes agriculture’s critical role in safeguarding food safety for everyone.

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    • World Environment Day 2023

      On World Environment Day, CISD presents this video to highlight the insights shared by our PGDM participant Pooja Ugale in her blog, “Innovative ways in which India is tackling plastic pollution!”.

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    • Insights on climate change by participant Raj Desai

      On Earth Day, this vlog presented highlights from our PGDM 2024 participant Raj Desai’s blog on the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on public health, exploring solutions to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and supporting sustainable practices.

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    • World Biodiversity Day Video

      On World Biodiversity Day, this vlog presents insights about the human-wildlife conflict and how Tata Coffee (TCL) manages the continuing elephant menace at its coffee plantations spanning across 19 states with its well-implemented strategies to coexist in harmony with nature. The article written by SPJIMR CISD Executive Director, Prabhat Pani was published in Forbes India.

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    • On World Health Day, this vlog presents unsustainable agricultural practices, the negative impact of the meat and dairy industry and possible solutions to enhance both human health and the environment highlighted by our PGDM 2024, participant Dhruvin Zaveri in his blog, The ‘Bad Taste’ of good food.

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    • On World Water Day, this vlog highlights the serious water issues and the possible solutions elaborated by our PGDM 2024, participant Pranav Bharti

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    • Lakhpati Kisan Project of CInI

      Lakhpati Kisan Programme (LKP): A case of multi-pronged intervention for household income enhancement

      Sushmita Srivastav and Lijo John

      Agriculture based interventions directed towards sustainable income and livelihood have been of utmost importance for governments, policy makers and farmer communities across the world. Lakhpati Kisan Smart village programme undertaken by Tata Trusts with its nodal agency CInI, in India, has covered more than a lakh household in the Tribal belts of India. It has substantially improved incomes to cross INR 100,000 per annum (and therefore lakhpati) for more than 50% of the farmer households. This paper seeks to study how LKP operationalized this multi-pronged approach resulting in increase in the house-hold income and to arrive at a holistic understanding of the programme. This study has been done with extensive interactions with various LKP stakeholders in the State of Gujarat, India. The paper has been accepted for presentation at an international conference shortly.

      The role of women–led Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) in achieving sustainable livelihood: A study of FPCs under the Lakhpati Kisan Programme

      Sushmita Srivastav and Lijo John

      Although India has over 8000 FPCs- an Apex community-led intervention of farmers, only 3% are Women FPCs. This despite the fact that 85% of agricultural farmers in India are women and they contribute significantly to the rural economy of the country, mostly as farm labourers. Mainstreaming women farmers into institutions like the FPC is more likely to lead to better utilization of resources that would contribute to livelihood. This study focuses on how LKP has facilitated the women to play a critical role in FPCs in achieving sustainable livelihood – not only in increasing agricultural income but also improving the quality of life through improved agricultural and livestock practices. Some of the outcomes would be centred around the critical underlying factors in identifying role of women in low income Agri-communities for creating sustainable and inclusive growth through formal institutions such as FPCs.

      Securing sustainable income through irreversible poverty: A comparative study of the Lakhpati Kisan Programme in the states of Gujarat and Jharkhand in India

      Sushmita Srivastav and Lijo John

      This paper is based on a comparative study of two States, Gujarat and Jharkhand in India, where the Lakhpati Kisan programme has been introduced to achieve sustainable income and break poverty traps. It seeks to answer the question of how the same programme with same operational capability has varied outcomes in different geographies. The paper also delves into the softer aspects of regional economic variations such as socio, economic, cultural and political factors, amongst others.

      Case study on the Lakhpati Kisan Programme

      Mihir Ajgaonkar and Tanvi Mankodi

      Tata Trusts and CINI have focused on the development of the marginal farmers from the tribal belt in India, with an objective to uplift their livelihood under the programme” Lakhpati Kisan”.

      The programme leaders of the “Lakhpati Kisan” have designed various interventions for the improvement in the economic status of these farmers through women empowerment. This teaching case study explores the sustainability of leadership dimensions of these interventions in the context of the overall social objectives of the “Lakhpati Kisan” programme.

      The data for this teaching case have been collected through in-depth qualitative interviews and through secondary sources from the records of CINI and the public domain. This case is in progress.

      The teaching case would be useful for teaching leadership frameworks in the Organizational Behaviour courses in the Master of Business Administration and other post-graduate management and executive education programmes.

    Contact Us

    Centre for Impact in Sustainable Development (CISD)

    022 61454200

    cisd@spjimr.org

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