India Development Review

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India Development Review (IDR) is India’s first independent online media platform for leaders in the development community. Our mission is to advance knowledge on social impact in India. We publish ideas, opinion, analysis, and lessons from real-world practice.


Articles by India Development Review


four women farmers working on a field somewhere in India

August 29, 2025
Indian agriculture can’t thrive without women farmers
Kavitha Kuruganti and Ireena Vittal discuss why women farmers’ labour, knowledge, and leadership often go unrecognised, and what would change if they were valued.
Women carrying stacks of bricks on their backs in a brick kiln, walking carefully over uneven stacks of bricks, with dusty red surroundings and a partly sunlit setting_women workforce participation

August 1, 2025
Women in the workforce: What we know (and what we’re missing)
Using insights from IDR articles, we answer four key questions that explore the social and economic factors shaping women’s participation in the workforce.
Two trout heads facing each other on bright orange background_nonprofit humour

July 21, 2025
Sh*t nonprofits say: Part XV
What do you mean you don't want to fundraise for your salary?
a gram sabha meeting with a panel sitting behind a table, and women in colourful chunnis sitting on the ground as participants-panchayati raj

July 18, 2025
The state of India’s Panchayati Raj system
From legal frameworks to finances and functions, the Panchayat Devolution Index 2024 evaluates how states transfer power to local governments for a stronger democracy.
A farmer operating a tractor in a field in India_climate change in India

July 11, 2025
The impact of climate change on agriculture: What we know 
Using insights from existing IDR articles, we answer four key questions on the impact of climate change on crops, food security, and smallholder livelihoods.
an abstract image of a flower in bloom--scale

June 24, 2025
A playbook for scaling impact
From working with governments to building open tools, nonprofits have found diverse ways to scale impact. A new report offers lessons from those who’ve done it.
a dark blue background with yellow and white text saying 'mental health provisions at work, what you get vs what you need'-nonprofit humour

June 9, 2025
Mental health at work: what you get vs what you need
Maybe mental health support isn't about your webinar on stress management.
a painted illustration that looks many people-unrestricted funding

May 28, 2025
The long-term effects of trust-based philanthropy  
A three-year study reveals how nonprofits used MacKenzie Scott’s unrestricted grants and how the funding influenced their resource allocation, leadership, and impact.
The image is a photograph of Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation._Philanthropic leadership

May 15, 2025
“If we don’t have failures, we haven’t done our job”
Darren Walker, president of Ford Foundation, talks about the new era of philanthropy in India, centring communities, and the value of failure.
The image features three women working in a field. One women holds a stack of leaves in her hand and there are rows of bound and stacked leaves laid out on the ground._Community resources

May 2, 2025
IDR Explains | Commons
In just 10 minutes, learn how India’s commons power its people, ecology, and economy—through examples, their history, and challenges.
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