Development Reimagined

Part 1: Why Development Needs a New Organising Principle   There are moments in one’s career when experience begins to reveal patterns that are difficult to recognise while living through them. Reflecting on more than two decades in the development sector, I find myself at one such moment. Across my experiences, one lesson has remained remarkably consistent. No single institution has ever transformed development outcomes alone. Progress has almost always emerged when governments, communities, businesses, development institutions and citizens have found ways to work together . Yet paradoxically, our development architecture has often encouraged these actors to operate in silos rather than as parts of an interconnected system. For many years, development cooperation has been remarkably successful at mobilizing resources around specific problems. It has helped reduce child mortality, expand access to education, improve nutrition, respond to humanitarian crises and strengthen institut...

Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of working across consulting, civil society, corporate CSR and now the United Nations. Each phase has given me a different lens on development—and each has challenged assumptions I once held. When I started my career, development was largely understood through a familiar equation: governments identified priorities, development agencies mobilized aid, NGOs implemented programmes, and the private sector was often viewed as a funding partner through CSR, if they would pitch in. Today, I believe that equation is changing. The world is becoming increasingly multipolar. Traditional development assistance is under pressure, geopolitical priorities are shifting, and countries are looking inward even as global challenges—from climate change to nutrition, education and health—continue to demand collective action. Yet I don't see this as a crisis alone. I see it as one of the greatest opportunities for countries like India. India ...