
It claimed there is a need to support female-led businesses and break the gender gap in economic opportunities. Startup India, an Indian government initiative, has offered budding entrepreneurs access to financial resources. According to the Innoven Capital study, there was a drop in the number of funded startups with at least one female co-founder from 17% in 2018 to 12% in 2019. While women-owned businesses can drive global growth by boosting income per capital by 12% by 2030, there is still a gender credit gap. Surely, we are past the time when we need to build the case for women and girls’ empowerment. It has provided more than 1.6 million screening services, with 350,000 receiving eyeglasses and 325,000 referred for specialist treatment. An example of this is the eyecare model in Rwanda that is supported by philanthropist James Chen. By investing in services and solutions that have lower than market returns, philanthropy cannot only prove that test-bed solutions to under-supported issues are working but also create a market for scale. Philanthropic capital can break down this barrier by taking on an ecosystem-building role. Reporting requirements are typically quantitative but impact indicators for issues like mental health are not so easy to track and require an extended period of time to demonstrate improved outcomes. One of the biggest barriers to private investors to support mental health is the lack of measurable outcomes. According to a research by October Ventures, global investments in mental health technology have increased by $750 million in early 2020. But we are seeing a worldwide upsurge in interest towards mental health. “There is a mismatch between mental health needs in India and the funding available,” said Leena Dandekar, founder of Raintree Foundation, a philanthropic foundation that focuses on mental health and disability in India. Spending less than 1% of its total healthcare budget on mental health in 2017, the government must reconsider the way it allocates finances to priority needs such as mental healthcare that should be part of a sustainable development goal (SDG). India is in great flux and its people are trying to keep up to meet new demands, challenges and needs daily.įunds diverted towards mental health as part of SDG for healthcareĭespite the fact that 15% of India’s population suffer from mental health issues, the country struggles with widespread taboos and misconceptions. However, there are investment opportunities in other areas that also need attention. According to the India Impact Investors Council (IIIC) report, education, healthcare, and agricultural sectors in India received $2.6 billion worth of impact investments in 2020. The effects of COVID-19 pandemic have been persistent but it has not stopped the marketplace from investing in what matters.

Funds diverted towards mental health as part of SDG for healthcare.Please get in touch with Sue Kim at for further clarifications. Changes are made based on our coordination with the local industry players. In view of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, all event schedules have been moved to a time when we reasonably expect the crisis to be contained.Ĭheck our website for the new dates.Wealth & Society Events (Full Event Diary).
