As I sit down to reflect on this journey on GDi’s Foundation Day, I am overwhelmed with a deep sense of gratitude and pride. When we began four years ago, our mission was clear, yet the road ahead was uncertain. Today, as I look back, I am amazed at how far we have come—from the challenges we faced, to the lives we’ve touched, the partnerships we have made and the team we have built.
I remember the early days, filled with excitement and nervous energy. We were a small team with a big dream: to use strategy, technology, partnership and data to improve the lives of millions. We didn’t want to be just another organisation offering temporary solutions. We wanted to make a lasting difference—a real transformation. And now, four years later, that dream has evolved into something real, measurable, and impactful.
Turning visions into reality
When GDi first started, the question that often crossed my mind was, "How can we move beyond good intentions and actually bring change?" We kept our approach simple but ambitious. We wanted to focus on data-driven governance and reality rooted strategies, to help governments and social organisations transform their systems and design long-term strategies for an equitable and inclusive world.
The last four years have been an incredible journey of growth and learning. We have impacted the lives of 20 crore plus people across sectors such as education, agriculture, air quality management, and women’s empowerment. The scale of this number still astonishes me. From the Indo-Gangetic Plains (Delhi, Haryana and Punjab), where we’ve helped improve air quality for 5.7 crore citizens, to the farmlands of Jammu & Kashmir, where we’ve worked to raise the incomes of 15 lakh farmers, GDi has become more than an organisation, it is a movement for young professionals across the country to drive positive social change at scale.
Moments of challenge and hope
It hasn’t always been easy. There were times when the scale of the problems we were trying to solve felt overwhelming. Take, for instance, our work in education during the pandemic. Schools across India were shut, and millions of children were at risk of falling behind. But we believed that education couldn’t stop just because classrooms were closed. In Rajasthan, we launched one of India’s largest personalized learning programs, reaching 10 lakh girl students and helping improve learning outcomes by 8-10%. In Uttar Pradesh, our home-based learning program reached 30 lakh students during the pandemic, ensuring they stayed connected to their studies. Seeing the impact on those young minds reinforced my belief that no challenge is too big when you have the right tools and a passionate team.
I also think about our work in agriculture. I’ve seen firsthand the struggles of farmers—uncertain weather, fluctuating prices, and outdated practices. We knew we could help, and today, we’ve brought modern agricultural practices to the farmers of Jammu & Kashmir and Odisha. By integrating markets, providing access to credit, and using data to drive decisions, we’ve impacted lakhs of farmer families. Watching them thrive, knowing that their futures are more secure, has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
Human stories behind the numbers
In Andhra Pradesh, through our Government to Citizen (G2C) welfare service delivery program, we’ve improved the government welfare system for 4 crore citizens. This isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about improving lives by ensuring people get the support they need when they need it.
We’ve also been fortunate to contribute on larger platforms, organizing national conferences on critical issues such as Rural Transformation with the World Bank and Disability with the Zero Project. These events have opened up much needed dialogues on how we can bring about meaningful change.
On the strategic front, we are helping chart the way forward for women’s economic empowerment by identifying the private sector’s role in creating sustainable opportunities. Additionally, we are designed a roadmap to make India free of child marriage—two initiatives that hold great promise for the future of women.
But behind every large initiative, I’m reminded of the individuals whose lives we touch. Whether it’s a girl in Rajasthan who’s dreaming of becoming a teacher, or a farmer in Odisha with newfound confidence in his harvest, it’s these stories of hope and resilience that drive us forward. We’re not just changing systems; we’re empowering people to change their own lives.
The road ahead
As we celebrate GDi’s Foundation Day, I find myself thinking more about the future than the past. There’s so much more to be done. We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible when governance, technology, and data come together to solve the world’s biggest challenges. We have big plans for the next chapter of GDi—expanding our work across India, Africa and other developing nations, tackling new challenges in healthcare, climate action, and rural development. But what gives me the most hope is the young team behind GDi— their dedication, their passion, and their belief in our mission are what have made all this possible.
To everyone who has been part of this journey—our team members, our partners, and the communities we serve—I thank you from the bottom of my heart. GDi wouldn’t be what it is today without you. Together, we’ve proven that real change is possible, and we’re just getting started.