Development Wala Podcast

Conversations that help us
understand development
from India to the world.

Development is not a single story. It is shaped by people, communities, organisations, governments, policies, institutions, ideas and movements across borders. Through the Development Wala Podcast, we bring these conversations to a wider audience — creating space for honest, thoughtful and accessible conversations about the issues shaping social and economic change.

01
Series One

Decoding India’s
Social Sector

Understanding the people, organisations and ideas shaping India’s development.

“Behind every project, policy and impact number are people working to address India’s most complex challenges.”
— Development Wala
About the Series

From the ground to
the conversation

India’s social sector is vast, diverse and deeply human. Behind every project, policy, organisation and impact number are people working to address some of India’s most complex challenges — from education and livelihoods to health, gender, inequality, climate and social justice.

Decoding India’s Social Sector brings these people and their experiences to the forefront. We speak with social sector leaders, NGO practitioners, CSR professionals, researchers, public institutions, social entrepreneurs and grassroots changemakers to understand how India’s development ecosystem actually works.

NGOs
CSR
Public Institutions
Social Enterprises
10+
Episodes Live
4+
Platforms
Stories to Tell
What We Explore

Five threads,
one sector

People
The journeys, experiences and perspectives of people working for social change.
Organisations
How NGOs, foundations, CSR teams, social enterprises and public institutions create change.
Ideas
The approaches, innovations and debates shaping India’s development sector.
Challenges
The realities behind implementation, funding, leadership, careers and impact.
Change
What is working, what is not, and what can be done differently.
Latest Episodes

Conversations with the people
shaping India’s social sector.

From grassroots leaders to senior professionals, each episode explores a different part of India’s development ecosystem.

Episode 06 thumbnail
Episode 06
The HR Problems Nobody Talks About
Watch on YouTube
Episode 04 thumbnail
Episode 04
SBI Youth for India Fellowship
Watch on YouTube
View Full
Playlist
Click the list icon top-left of the player above to browse every episode without leaving the page. Open in YouTube
Shorts

Quick Takes

Bite-sized moments from the field — powerful insights in under 60 seconds.

Now on Spotify

Listen Wherever
You Go

Every episode of Decoding India’s Social Sector is available on Spotify. Subscribe to get notified whenever a new conversation drops — and never miss a story from the ground.

Follow on Spotify
02
Series Two

Global Development
Desk

Understanding the people, policies and forces shaping our world.

About the Series

Beyond borders,
beyond headlines

Development does not stop at national borders. The challenges facing our world — migration, inequality, climate change, labour, displacement, education, health, poverty and social protection — are increasingly interconnected.

Global Development Desk takes the conversation beyond India. We speak with researchers, practitioners, policymakers, international development professionals, community leaders, social entrepreneurs and changemakers working across countries and contexts.

The aim is simple: to understand the world of development through the people who study it, shape it and experience it.

“The challenges facing our world are increasingly interconnected — and so should the conversations about them be.”
— Global Development Desk
What We Explore

Eight lenses on
a connected world

Global Development
The ideas, debates and approaches shaping international development.
People & Communities
The lived experiences behind development policies and programmes.
Migration & Mobility
Borders, labour migration, displacement, mobility and the changing world of work.
Work & Livelihoods
Decent work, informal employment, labour rights and social protection.
Policy & Power
Governments, international organisations, institutions and the systems that shape development.
Climate & Sustainability
Climate change, environmental justice and the future of sustainable development.
Education & Knowledge
Learning, research, skills and the role of knowledge in social change.
Innovation & Social Change
New ideas, approaches and organisations attempting to address global challenges.
Coming Soon

Recording is done.
Launch is next.

The first conversations for Global Development Desk are already in the can — we’re finishing production before they go live on YouTube and Spotify. Follow along on WhatsApp or LinkedIn to be the first to know the moment episodes drop.

Two Series · One Purpose

Making development conversations
more accessible, honest and meaningful

Whether the conversation begins in a village in Jharkhand, a community organisation in Kenya, a university in London or an international institution working across countries, we believe every development story has something to teach us.

Series 01
Decoding India’s Social Sector
Looks closely at India’s development ecosystem.
01
&
02
Series 02
Global Development Desk
Looks outward — connecting India’s development conversations with wider global debates.

Together, they create a space for:

PeopleIdeasPolicyPracticeChange
The Reason We Do This

Why These Conversations Matter

GDPBudgetsBeneficiariesTargetsImpact Indicators

Development is often discussed through numbers. But behind every number is a person. Behind every policy is a decision. Behind every programme is a story. And behind every development challenge is a system that deserves to be understood.

The Development Wala Podcast goes beyond the headlines and the numbers to ask:

Who is creating change?
What is actually happening on the ground?
Who benefits — and who is left behind?
What can we learn from different contexts?
What needs to change?
Our Next Podcast Guests

Building the World’s
Development Learning Repository

Voices we’re bringing to the mic across both series — from established foundations to grassroots changemakers, across India and abroad.

Central Square FoundationPiramal FoundationEducation InitiativesKaivalya Education FoundationAshoka UniversityAzim Premji UniversityWorld Bank GroupLabhya FoundationDhwani FoundationAnkura FoundationMagic BusRocket LearningBright FutureLupinJharkhand Government Central Square FoundationPiramal FoundationEducation InitiativesKaivalya Education FoundationAshoka UniversityAzim Premji UniversityWorld Bank GroupLabhya FoundationDhwani FoundationAnkura FoundationMagic BusRocket LearningBright FutureLupinJharkhand Government
Umeed FoundationSarva Samanvay FoundationIGF-IndiaSahabhagi Samaj Sevi SansthaSportathonVoiceInMindSynergieSmile FoundationBreakthroughCatalyst Management ServicesAbhyuday Universityतीसरी सरकार अभियानInvolve Learning SolutionsAman Swayam SevaNalanaway Foundation Umeed FoundationSarva Samanvay FoundationIGF-IndiaSahabhagi Samaj Sevi SansthaSportathonVoiceInMindSynergieSmile FoundationBreakthroughCatalyst Management ServicesAbhyuday Universityतीसरी सरकार अभियानInvolve Learning SolutionsAman Swayam SevaNalanaway Foundation

& many more across India and abroad.

Want to Be Our Next Guest?

Your work deserves
to be heard

We are looking for people with experiences, ideas and perspectives that can contribute to the wider development conversation. Pick the series that fits your work — or both.

For Series 01
Decoding India’s Social Sector
  • NGO & civil society leaders
  • Social sector professionals
  • CSR professionals
  • Researchers & academics
  • Social entrepreneurs
  • Grassroots organisations
  • Public institutions
  • Community leaders
  • Development practitioners
For Series 02
Global Development Desk
  • International development professionals
  • Researchers & academics
  • Policymakers
  • International organisations
  • NGOs & civil society leaders
  • Migration & labour researchers
  • Climate & sustainability practitioners
  • Social entrepreneurs
  • Community leaders
  • Philanthropy & development finance professionals
  • Global changemakers
Become a Guest
Takes 2 minutes — just let us know which series fits your work. Remote conversations, diverse voices, global perspectives. We’ll reach out to confirm your slot.
Development Wala Podcast
From India’s social sector to the
global development conversation.
Listen. Question. Understand.