A catalyst for social development: impact investing

IMPACT INVESTING AND THE “EPIC TRIATHLON”

GLOBALIZATION, URBANIZATION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The 21st century world economy faces three main challenges, and the only real means to tackling them is innovation. Dr. Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, hosted a panel discussion that underscored the importance of initiatives around impact investing: companies such as IIX provide platforms through which investing activity can occur, allowing social enterprises to benefit from capital markets.

What role can be played by impact investors and social enterprises in tackling these challenges? Read More >>

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS HIT HIGH STREET

RANGSUTRA RESPECTS PRODUCER AND CONSUMER

Traditional crafts are rapidly dying out as modern factories supplant artisan workshops.  Rangsutra utilizes these artisan techniques to supply high-end fashion houses, preserving the techniques in the process as well as providing livelihoods for over 2,000 rural Indian homes.  “Artisans were traditionally producing very exclusive products for their own families,” says Rangsutra’s Founder, Sumita Ghose, – all that was needed was to make these high-end products available to the outside world.

How did Ghose bring village arts back to the cities? Read more>>

BETTING ON BIOGAS

CHAIRMAN OF EXCELLENT RENEWABLE ENERGY, DEEPAK GADHIA, EXPLAINS WHY HE’S CONVINCED THAT BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO BE KEY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

India has been mainly dependent on coal as a fuel for power generation.  However, climate change, depleting coal reserves, infrastructure constraints, and government policy favoring the renewable energy sector, are propelling a new generation of social enterprises to come up with alternative sources of energy to meet the country’s growing demands. Deepak Gadhia, Chairman of Excellent Renewable Energy, sees renewable energy as key for securing India’s energy survival and sustainability.  “Mankind has no other option but to embrace renewable energy.”

Find out how Excellent Renewable Energy aims to use biogas technology, particularly in rural and remote areas in India. Read more>>

SAM SALMAN: THE NEW FACE BEHIND MISSION MARKETS

MISSION MARKETS CEO SAM SALMAN PREPARES FOR THE FUTURE

With more government emphasis placed on generating economic activity for jobs and financial growth, being able to quantify financial and societal benefits to support impact investments is imperative.  Sam Salman, the new CEO of Mission Markets™ plans to do just that.  He believes that his partnership with Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX) will help reduce the fragmentation seen today in the field of impact investing and “lead to increased capital flow across borders, which will provide encouragement to innovators in the impact and sustainability sectors.”

Read what Sam has to say. Read more>>

Impact Investment Shujog and the ADB release two groundbreaking research publications on the Impact Investing space in Asia:

JOINING FORCES

ennovent partners with iix

ennovent is a for-profit enterprise established to promote entrepreneurs, who advance disruptive innovations for sustainability at the base of the economic pyramid.

STAMFORD PRIVEE PARTNERS WITH IIX

Stamford Privee is an emerging leader and dominant provider of independent family office services across Asia.

SOCIETY OF FAMILY OFFICES PARTNERS WITH IIX

Society of Family Offices, Asia (SFO Asia) is established as a platform to provide proprietary access to critical knowledge about managing wealth, sustaining family legacy and operating family offices. SFO accomplishes this by providing continued wealth management education and training, networking, experience sharing and advisory engagement among its members across a sophisticated global network of family office specialists with specific interest in practicing or tapping the Asian marketplace.

IIX AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Agenda Council in Abu Dhabi saw 800 experts coming together to address the world’s most pressing social, economic and environmental issues.  High on the discussion list were issues around job creation and inclusive growth.  One of the key considerations at the summit was the role of social innovations in the context of the current global crisis.  One of the takeaways was the role governments can play in shaping public policy to encourage this much needed social innovation.  Over two days, Council Members participated in an extensive program across a diverse range of strategically important policy areas that will shape the agenda for the WEF annual meeting in Davos next January.  IIX and Shujog Founder, Prof Shahnaz, was part of the Council on Social Innovation.  Stay tuned for more on WEF in the coming months.