The event brought together leading voices from the development, philanthropic, academic and corporate sectors to discuss the future of community-led development and the role of women in driving social transformation. Among the distinguished speakers were Dr. Rajesh Tandon of PRIA, who addressed the current state of collaboration between government institutions and civil society organisations, and Professor Bina Agarwal of the University of Manchester, who highlighted the importance of women’s land rights in strengthening economic independence and creating long-term intergenerational change.
Development leader Gagan Sethi reflected on lessons learned from 25 years of community-centred work and the priorities that will shape the next phase of progress. Sudarshan Suchi of Reliance Foundation spoke about aligning philanthropic capital with public systems to ensure effective last-mile delivery. Saranya Pradhan of McCain Foods India discussed how private-sector engagement with women and youth in agriculture contributes to sustainable livelihoods while strengthening supply chain resilience.
Biraj Patnaik of the National Foundation for India emphasised the importance of sustained support for civil society organisations and the need to strengthen institutions committed to long-term social change. Sivakumar Surampudi of ITC Limited highlighted market-linked models that create economic opportunities for rural women and youth through stronger connections to value chains and employment opportunities.
According to the Outcome Report 2020–25, Cohesion Foundation Trust recorded substantial progress across multiple sectors during the review period. The organisation supported more than 15,000 women farmers, reached 67,409 children through education and early childhood development programmes, and facilitated access to government welfare schemes for over 43,000 individuals. It also strengthened more than 150 community-based organisations and enabled community-led water management initiatives that generated an additional water storage capacity of 259,188 kilolitres across 78 villages.
Addressing the gathering, Rajesh Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer of Cohesion Foundation Trust, said that the organisation was founded 25 years ago on the belief that communities possess the knowledge, resilience and leadership required to create lasting change. He stated that this conviction has been reinforced through experiences ranging from women farmers improving livelihoods to families securing essential welfare benefits and communities managing natural resources. He added that meaningful development becomes possible when people are empowered to lead the process themselves and reiterated the organisation’s ambition of helping transform one million lives by 2030 through community-owned development.
The report also details the organisation’s strategic direction for the next five years. Building on its “Model, Replicate and Scale” approach, Cohesion Foundation Trust plans to focus on climate-resilient livelihoods, women’s leadership, youth empowerment, stronger community institutions and evidence-driven engagement with public systems and development partners.
Established in 1996 by a multidisciplinary team of development professionals, Cohesion Foundation Trust initially functioned as a support organisation providing professional services to other institutions. Its work included community organisation, project finance and management services, planning, monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment systems, management information systems, research, capacity building, democratisation of development processes, empowerment initiatives and advocacy. In 2000–01, the organisation launched its own implementation units to strengthen field engagement and deepen learning through direct programme execution.
The release of the Outcome Report 2020–25 marks a significant milestone in Cohesion Foundation Trust’s 25-year journey. By documenting measurable outcomes and presenting a forward-looking strategy, the organisation has reaffirmed its commitment to community-owned development, women-led transformation and sustainable social progress across some of India’s most vulnerable regions.
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