Philanthropy Asia Alliance Expands India Network, Supports Two Social Impact Ventures
Dasra joins the Alliance as a network partner, while Rocket Learning and Frontier Innovations receive backing to scale programmes in early childhood education and women’s economic empowerment.
Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), a Temasek Trust initiative focused on advancing collaborative philanthropy across Asia, has expanded its presence in India by announcing Dasra as a new network partner. Separately, PAA and its funder members have confirmed support for two India-based impact ventures—Rocket Learning and Frontier Innovations—to help scale locally developed solutions in education and women’s livelihoods.
The announcements strengthen PAA’s engagement in India by expanding its network within the country’s philanthropy ecosystem and directing philanthropic funding towards initiatives designed for wider implementation.
Dasra Joins PAA as Network Partner
Dasra joins the Alliance as a network partner, contributing its experience of working with Indian philanthropic families, foundations, nonprofits and wealth advisers, along with its focus on domestic and diaspora giving.
The partnership will connect Dasra’s ecosystem, including its GivingPi family philanthropy platform, with PAA’s network across Southeast Asia. Joint engagements are planned through platforms such as Dasra Philanthropy Week and the India Philanthropy Forum.
PAA’s network now includes more than 110 funder members, network partners and programme partners across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and West Asia. Existing Indian members include Aditya Birla Education Trust, Shiv Nadar Foundation and Bharti Airtel Foundation.
Shaun Seow, CEO of PAA, said:
"India is solving some of the hardest social and environmental challenges, and many of those solutions are ready to work well beyond home. PAA's role is to bring our members' funding and networks into India, while giving Indian organisations a route into partnerships across the rest of Asia and the Global South. By deepening those connections, we can help proven models reach millions more people."
Neera Nundy, Co-founder and Partner, Dasra, said:
“India is not only a destination for philanthropic capital. Its communities and social sector leaders have built knowledge and approaches that can inform solutions far beyond the country. Through our partnership with PAA, these voices can play a stronger role in shaping how philanthropy responds to challenges across Asia and the Global South.”
Funding for Two India-Based Ventures
According to the announcement, India has one of the world's largest social enterprise ecosystems, with close to two million social enterprises developing solutions across education, livelihoods, healthcare and other sectors.
PAA is supporting two ventures that have already demonstrated measurable outcomes.
Rocket Learning
Rocket Learning is an early childhood education nonprofit that delivers learning through WhatsApp in local languages using AI-driven personalisation, combined with in-person training for preschool educators and behavioural support for parents.
An independent MIT-JPAL evaluation found that 80% of children in the programme were school-ready by the age of six, compared with the national average of 50%.
Over the past five years, Rocket Learning has reached six million children across 15 states and union territories:
- Uttarakhand
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Chandigarh
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Maharashtra
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
- West Bengal
- Meghalaya
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Odisha
The organisation aims to reach 50 million underserved children by 2030.
PAA's funding will support expansion in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, while also enabling the programme to enter Southeast Asia for the first time.
Frontier Innovations
PAA is also supporting Frontier Innovations’ She Leads Bharat: Udyam, a profit-and-purpose initiative connecting rural women entrepreneurs with India's rural commerce platform through the AI-powered Meri Saheli app.
The platform enables women-led micro and small businesses to sell online alongside their physical stores while providing access to credit, farming supplies and essential medicines.
The programme has reached:
- More than 50,000 women across four states
- Delivered 100 million solutions to 4.3 million rural people
- Generated US$10 million in additional income
- Increased participants' individual earnings by 100% within their first year
With PAA's support, the programme will expand into Tier 5 and Tier 6 villages across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
The next phase targets a 300% increase in income for 10,000 rural women within one year, while Frontier Innovations aims to reach 300,000 households by 2028 through partnerships with government and the private sector.
Focus on Scaling Proven Models
The Alliance stated that the new partnership with Dasra and support for the two ventures builds on its existing work across climate, health and inclusive development in India.
The initiative is intended to combine local expertise, philanthropic funding and cross-sector collaboration to help proven Indian models expand into Southeast Asia and eventually the wider Global South.