Episode 4 | Decoding Impact - Season 4

Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Sattva

Consulting Guest: Dr Shraman Jha, CEO, Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF)

By 2030, India’s demand for water could be double the supply, according to NITI Aayog. Nearly 40% of the population may lack access to drinking water. The crisis is real, and solving it is only possible through collaboration.

At the heart of India’s water challenge are farming communities. With 78–90% of freshwater routed to agriculture, they are among the worst affected by water insecurity, yet they hold deep, practical knowledge critical to managing water sustainably. When communities lead water management, it doesn’t just conserve water; it can also empower women to take ownership of budgeting, conservation, and local decision-making.

In this essential episode of Decoding Impact, Rathish Balakrishnan and Dr Shraman Jha break down:

• What water security really means
• How data enables smarter water decisions
• How to design community-led interventions that work
• Why livelihoods and conservation don’t have to be trade-offs

Grounded in real-world experiences and case studies, this must-watch discussion reinforces the importance of centring communities. When impact practitioners work with communities in ways that resonate with their lived realities, it could unlock pathways to lasting water security

Key topics discussed:

1. India’s water gaps & the vision of Hindustan Unilever Foundation

2. Water shortages impact us all, but it’s an invisible problem!

3. What is water security actually?

4. The regional realities of water in India

5. Engaging communities through water data & demonstration

6. How rural women are championing water budgets

7. The beautiful tradition of Halma

8. How much water data is currently available?

9. Aligning stakeholders in the ecosystem + metrics for outcomes + collaboration model

10. Common agenda, independent action

Episode 3 | Decoding Impact – Season 4

Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Sattva Consulting

Guest: Shilpa Kumar, Managing Director & Head of India, British International Investment

India needs $2.5 trillion by 2030 to reach its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - climate action plans submitted under the Paris Agreement. As the climate crisis worsens, the role of climate finance and especially Development Finance Institutions, in becoming a catalyst for transformative solutions is more important than ever. In this illuminating episode, Shilpa Kumar decodes climate finance: its purpose, gaps, and types of funders. From smart metres to the Mumbai metro, she draws on her own work to offer sharp perspectives on solving for climate change at scale. Through their complementary experiences and viewpoints, Rathish and Shilpa bring context-rich insights on India’s climate landscape, while exchanging stories that show it is possible to combat climate change.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Current state of climate finance (India and internationally), the existing gaps, and the role DFIs play

2. Enabling tailwinds for climate finance

3. Climate interventions in mobility

4. What initiatives are powered under climate finance?

5. The case of smart metres: the importance of last-mile distribution

6. How to manage the perceived risk of climate investment

7. How India can attract more capital for climate action

8. Adaptation & resilience - gaps, stories, and climate financing for it

9. Why MSMEs struggle to go green

10. State capacity at the city level

11. Role of philanthropy in climate finance

Episode 2 | Decoding Impact – Season 4

Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Sattva Consulting

Guests:

Sohini Bhattacharya, Independent Consultant - Gender and Leadership & Senior Advisor, Accelerator for Shifting Gender Norms Through Education

Erin Ganju, Managing Director - Accelerator for Shifting Gender Norms through Education

What are gender norms? How do they impact a woman’s ability to work or study? And most importantly, can they be changed?In this episode of #DecodingImpact, Sohini Bhattacharya and Erin Ganju weigh in with deep insights, inspirational stories, and moving anecdotes drawn from their decades-long experience in working with communities and shifting gender norms.

The conversation explores the reality of deeply embedded norms, the negative impact of women’s limited participation in the workforce, and the role of all stakeholders - from schools to families - in bringing about societal transformation.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Understanding gender norms

2. The negative impact of women’s limited participation in the workforce on families, communities, and nations

3. Gender norms are hard to change, but it’s possible

4. Engaging adolescents in important conversations

5. How patriarchy also harms boys and men

6. The role of schools, teachers, and parents

7. Mobilising communities to support gender equality

8. How systems and organisations can drive lasting change