The LiftEd Development Impact Bond (DIB), a multi-partner initiative supporting the Government of India’s NIPUN Bharat Mission, has improved foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) outcomes for more than half a million children in government primary schools across selected districts of Haryana, Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The findings were released following an independent endline evaluation of the programme’s first cohort.
The USD 14.7 million initiative brought together government agencies, civil society organisations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributors and philanthropic donors to strengthen foundational learning skills through existing government education systems. The programme aims to improve learning outcomes cost-effectively while supporting the objectives of the NIPUN Bharat Mission.
The independent evaluation tracked students from the first cohort who enrolled in Grade 1 and received programme support over three years. Measured in Equivalent Years of Schooling (EYOS), children in LiftEd districts recorded learning gains equivalent to 1.81 years in reading fluency, 0.37 years in literacy, including listening and comprehension, and 0.24 years in numeracy compared with children in areas without the programme.
The assessment also highlighted differences in reading and mathematical abilities. By Year 3, children in the intervention districts could read an average of 49.3 correct words per minute, compared with 41.7 words per minute in areas without the programme. The headline findings showed reading proficiency of approximately 50 correct words per minute against 42 elsewhere. Similarly, 65% of children in LiftEd-supported areas demonstrated the ability to use multiplication tables and perform division, compared with 56% in other areas.
The programme was delivered at an education-partner cost of just USD 6 (Rs. 559) per child over three years. Rather than establishing separate structures, LiftEd worked through existing Indian government school systems. It strengthened block- and district-level review meetings and teacher mentoring support, making these processes more structured and data-driven.
The evaluation found that more than 95% of block-level review meetings used student learning data to guide decisions, while more than 80% of classroom observations included practical feedback for teachers.
These improvements were supported through capacity-building initiatives involving approximately 37,000 government officials, including block education officers, cluster coordinators and middle managers. The programme focused on strengthening their roles in academic support and teacher mentorship.
Through hands-on coaching and practical tools, officials were trained to use children's learning data to identify gaps, prioritise schools requiring support and guide decisions during review meetings. Training in classroom observation, structured feedback tools and regular follow-ups also helped officials provide teachers with specific and actionable guidance.
The LiftEd DIB is a cross-sector collaboration involving civil society, government and private-sector organisations. Its founding partners include the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, India; Bridges Outcomes Partnerships; Maitri Trust; Reliance Foundation; Atlassian Foundation; and Standard Chartered Foundation. The British Asian Trust serves as the programme leader.
Kaivalya Education Foundation, Language and Learning Foundation, Peepul and Pratham Education Foundation implemented the programme as Education Partners. Dalberg serves as the Design Lead and Performance Manager, while Development Solutions and ConveGenius Insights independently evaluate the initiative.
Bharath Visweswariah, Executive Director, India, at the British Asian Trust, said, “The main lesson from the LiftEd DIB is that meaningful systems change and better learning outcomes for children require collective action. By bringing together government, philanthropy and implementation partners around a shared vision and accountability framework, it demonstrates how collaboration can strengthen public education systems and improve children’s futures.”
Prachi Jain Windlass, Head of India at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, said the findings were encouraging because they demonstrated improvements in children's learning as well as the support available to teachers.
“These results are encouraging because we're seeing children learn more, and teachers getting better support,” she said. “We're also seeing improvements in how government schools use data and support their teachers. These are exciting changes that can benefit children well beyond this programme.”
Mr B Srinivasan, Executive Lead, Reliance Foundation, said foundational literacy and numeracy were essential for children to learn, thrive and realise their full potential.
“Strong foundations in literacy and numeracy are essential for every child to learn, thrive and realise their full potential. Through improving learning outcomes for more than half a million children, in alignment with the Government of India’s NIPUN Bharat Mission, LiftEd has demonstrated that when government, philanthropy and implementation partners work together around measurable outcomes, it is possible to improve learning at scale. We hope the evidence and lessons emerging from this initiative will help strengthen foundational learning for millions more children across India,” he said.
Gagandeep Nanda, Associate Partner at Dalberg Advisors, the programme's design partner, explained that the initiative aimed to create lasting improvements in the functioning of the education system alongside better learning outcomes for children.
“Ultimately, the aim was to create lasting change in how the education system works, alongside improving children’s learning. By measuring and rewarding both, we sought to strengthen the systems and practices that can continue to benefit children beyond the life of the programme,” Nanda said.
LiftEd is India's first Development Impact Bond focused on strengthening existing education systems. A DIB is a form of outcomes-based financing (OBF) in which funding is linked to measurable results. Investors provided the initial funding and were repaid only after independent evaluators confirmed achievements against two sets of indicators: improvements in the education system and gains in children's learning outcomes.
The latest findings relate to the first of the programme's two cohorts, which together aim to improve learning outcomes for more than one million children.
The LiftEd DIB forms part of the broader USD 20 million LiftEd initiative, which also includes an EdTech Accelerator, which has concluded, and the District Education Innovation Challenge in Jharkhand. Collectively, the initiative aims to improve learning outcomes for 6.5 million children across India by 2028.
By combining measurable learning outcomes with improvements in government school systems, the initiative has demonstrated an approach to strengthening foundational education through existing public infrastructure. Its first-cohort evaluation provides evidence of progress across literacy, numeracy, teacher support and administrative practices.
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