Philanthropy in India is becoming more strategic and intervening in various sectors: Voorhies

Philanthropy in India is becoming more strategic and intervening in many sectors like education and health to help catalyse system level changes, a top official of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Tuesday said.

President of global growth and opportunities, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Rodger Voorhies said philanthropists nowadays are thinking about societal platforms that enable collective impact and value for the ecosystem and not just one entity, so that solutions are sustainable and scalable.

Voorhies, who recently attended a panel discussion on the 'Role of Philanthropy in India's Human, Social and Economic Progress' told PTI that Indians have always been generous and are now building on from global examples.

"Philanthropy in India is really getting strategic, and it is intervening in many sectors like education and health. Philanthropy can also help countries to learn from each other in a peer to peer way.

"Through data, through upstream research, through advocacy, and through convening power, philanthropy can be really catalytic. We are seeing some of the innovations are leading in India, especially in inclusive technology, and inspiring philanthropists in other parts of the world," he said.

Referring to recent announcements where philanthropic giving has increased remarkably in India, he said in the last four years (from FY14 to FY18), philanthropic giving had increased from $6 billion to $10 billion