The launch of the Social Protection Coalition marked a pivotal step towards enhancing resilience and fostering social inclusion for vulnerable communities in India. The coalition aims to bring together a diverse network of civil society organisations, foundations, the private sector, academia, government, and other key stakeholders —all united in their commitment to strengthening comprehensive social protection systems.
117 organisations including CSOs, Foundations, Private sector stakeholders, Associations, Multilaterals, government officials as well as community champions attended the launch and expressed their commitment to expanding social protection access and improve coverage for various marginalised groups & strengthen social protection mechanisms for a more inclusive and resilient society.
A significant highlight at CSI was the signing of a letter of agreement between the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Swasti, The Health Catalyst, a non-profit entity under The Catalyst Group. The collaborative partnership establishes correlations between extreme weather events and health and disease outcomes on the ground for various vulnerable communities. Senior officials from both organisations also launched a Weather and Disease Tracker Prototype at the Catalysing Social Impact 2024.
The India Health Collaborative (IHC) was launched under the aegis of the Catalyst 2030 network, which focuses on making healthcare accessible, affordable and of quality for vulnerable people on a large scale; and the launch of the Meaningful Business MB 100 India chapter, which aims to identify and champion business leaders driving companies and initiatives aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The vibrant session on “Procure with Purpose: Building a Coalition for Social Procurement in India” brought together a diverse group of 32 participants, both offline and online.
The session delved into the essential objectives of the Social Procurement Coalition, focusing on tangible outcomes and actions. The coalition’s key highlights revolved around sharing insights from Sattva’s Social Procurement report, highlighting the challenges faced by corporates in sourcing from indigenous communities and the imperative for market building and process standardisation. The group work emphasised resource provision, enhanced corporate connections, and sustainable funding models to drive coalition sustainability and impact.
Dynamically transitioning through Q&A sessions and breakouts, the participants grappled with essential questions on legal formalisation, funding dynamics, and coalition viability. The emphasis on clear objectives, stakeholder engagement, and data standardisation underscored the coalition’s commitment to fostering impactful social procurement practices in India.
As the session concluded, exciting implementations loomed on the horizon, with focused actions on market building, member engagement, and data infrastructure enhancements setting the tone for a collaborative and impactful journey ahead. The session left an indelible mark, illuminating the transformative potential of collective action in driving social procurement agendas in India.