For nearly six decades, Palladium has been a global force for good, weaving together social impact and business growth. Their mission in India has flourished for over 20 years, with Mr. Amit Patjoshi, CEO, Palladium India, leading the charge. In an exclusive conversation with TheCSRUniverse, Mr. Patjoshi offers valuable insights into the organization's journey in India.
The interview explores Palladium India's focus on critical sectors like agriculture, women empowerment and healthcare. It also delves into their unique approach to driving sustainable development, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and adaptability. This allows them to navigate challenges and create impactful solutions tailored to India's specific context. Mr. Patjoshi also sheds light on their sophisticated problem-solving approaches, ensuring interventions are not just effective in the short term, but contribute to lasting systemic change. Most importantly, Palladium India envisions grassroots-driven development, with empowered communities, responsible businesses, and accountable institutions collaborating for a sustainable and equitable future.
For more insights on how this organization is driving positive change in India, read the complete interview below.
Q&A
Q. Tell us about Palladium India’s 20-year journey. What are your key focus sectors?
A. Palladium, a global impact firm with nearly 60 years of experience, operates at the nexus of social impact and commercial growth. Working with diverse clients, including corporations, governments, investors, and civil society, Palladium's global network spans over 90 countries. Since 2004, we have been active in India, implementing large-scale programs for agencies like USAID and FCDO. In 2018, a joint venture with AP Globale led to a focus on driving a positive impact in India's key sectors. With a portfolio of over 40 projects, Palladium has made notable contributions in diverse sectors such as health, agriculture, governance, transport, economic growth, disaster management, and more.
Q. What are some of the emerging trends or challenges that Palladium is seeing in the development landscape in India? How does Palladium leverage these to its advantage?
A. Some emerging trends in India's development landscape include a focus on sustainability to combat climate change, a push for inclusion and equity, and challenges in rapid technological advancement, particularly in digital infrastructure and upskilling needs. Shifting geopolitical dynamics and a focus on local solutions tailored to India's context impact how development projects are conceived and implemented.
We recognize these trends as both challenges and opportunities. We align our team's expertise by ensuring projects have specialists in sustainability and inclusion embedded from the outset.
Secondly, we embrace technology by utilizing data and digital tools to streamline project design, implementation, and monitoring. We also contextualize solutions by tailoring our approaches to India's unique needs and circumstances. Fourthly, we build strong partnerships with local stakeholders to ensure inclusive and sustainable development that is truly community driven.
Q. Palladium's profile provides a glimpse into the diverse projects spanning Agriculture, Economic Growth, Climate, Health, Women Empowerment, Skill Development, and Disaster Risk Management. Could you delve deeper into a distinctive approach or methodology employed by Palladium in these sectors that sets the organization apart and contributes to the success of its initiatives?
A. One distinctive approach that sets Palladium apart is our emphasis on integrated, systems-thinking methodologies. We don't view these sectors – agriculture, climate, health, etc. – in isolation. Instead, we understand their interconnectedness and design projects that address these intersections. For example, an agriculture project might not only focus on yield improvement but also incorporate climate-smart practices for resilience, link farmers to value chains for economic growth, and specifically address gender-based barriers women farmers face. This holistic approach maximizes impact and ensures long-term sustainability.
Additionally, Palladium heavily emphasizes partnerships and capacity building. We don't just parachute in solutions; we build deep collaborations with state governments, businesses, and communities. This fosters ownership of initiatives ensures they're tailored to local realities and builds lasting capacity within the system.
Q. Palladium is extensively working with FPOs. Can you share a specific example of how the company has empowered FPOs in India to access better markets, inputs, and financial resources, and the positive outcomes it has brought?
A. Palladium is at the forefront of empowering over 600 Farmer Producer Organizations across 6 states in India, impacting the lives of 300,000 farmers. We are empaneled by NABARD and NAFED as a Cluster-based Business Organization to support 30 FPOs, fostering income-oriented farming. Also, as the Technical Support Unit for the Directorate of Horticulture, Govt. of Odisha, under the Promotion and Stabilization of FPOs project, Palladium is fostering collaboration and enhancing FPO business capacities. Our unique market system development methodology, combined with skill-building initiatives, has led to significant impact. Over 600 FPOs have benefited, and 400+ are successfully registered on eNAM, with a remarkable 152% increase in crop trading value. This transformative success in phase 1 of PSFPO has led to our engagement in the second phase (PSFPO 2.0), where we aim to efficiently utilize public and private sector capital for accelerated business growth and enhanced integration with better markets, along with increased access to formal credit support for FPOs.
Q. Palladium, under your leadership, is actively involved in projects promoting inclusive economic growth, such as the Swakalpa program in Odisha. How do these initiatives empower micro-entrepreneurs, and in what ways are you observing tangible changes in the economic landscape, both locally and globally?
A. Palladium is dedicated to propelling economic growth by championing nano-entrepreneurs and providing tailored mentorship and resources. Through strategic initiatives, we empower these grassroots innovators, fostering sustainable economic development at the micro-business level. For instance, in partnership with the Odisha Skill Development Authority, Palladium is driving the Swakalpa program to empower 10,000 youth with entrepreneurship skills, fostering 1,000 micro-businesses, with a notable 25% women representation. Beyond 100 hours of skills training, our program provides 24 weeks of personalized mentoring, aiding in business establishment, formalization, market access, and finance. So far, Swakalpa has engaged over 15,000 potential entrepreneurs, enrolling close to 9,000 in the program, resulting in 750+ mentees undergoing mentorship and 200+ successful Nano enterprises. The most remarkable achievement of Swakalpa is having 72% women mentees, surpassing the program's 25% target.
Q. How does the organization ensure equity and inclusion in its mission, staying adaptable to evolving circumstances and addressing pressing societal challenges? Can you provide specific examples of initiatives where community empowerment was central, along with the resulting impact on the involved communities?
A. At Palladium, our commitment to Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion is ingrained in the fabric of our growth strategy and is a fundamental Sustainable Business Key Performance Indicator across all projects. Take, for instance, our entrepreneurship development project, where we ensure the inclusion of approximately 25-30% from SC/ST/OBC and other disadvantaged groups, along with a significant representation of 75% women and even transgenders.
In addition, community empowerment is a vital component in securing the sustainability of program benefits and ensuring effective delivery. A notable example is our HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, and care initiative which aims to conduct 2,70,000 HIV screenings across 33 sites in 9 states, making it the most extensive initiative of its kind in India's general population. Beyond screening, the program actively involves and empowers the community, raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, providing counseling, and linking beneficiaries to nearby medical facilities for further treatment. This approach not only addresses immediate health concerns but also contributes to the long-term well-being and resilience of the communities involved.
Q. With a focus on innovative problem-solving, how does Palladium consistently infuse inventive approaches into its projects? Can you share insights into a project where a particularly innovative solution was successfully implemented?
A. At Palladium, our commitment to innovative problem-solving lies in the continuous involvement of industry leaders and experts in our brainstorming sessions. By leveraging global best practices, we tailor solutions to fit the unique context of projects in India. Our approach involves a meticulous understanding of the client's problem statement, utilizing the Theory of Change to identify both evident and hidden challenges. We then engage in intensive research and collaborative brainstorming sessions to craft optimal solutions that comprehensively address all desired outcomes.
Palladium, as consultant to the State Transport Authority of Odisha for Road Safety Initiatives, has introduced an innovative approach by establishing a specialized Road Safety Crash Investigation Team. This dedicated team conducts thorough on-site investigations of major road accidents, producing comprehensive reports encompassing accident details, road conditions, nature of the incident, and scientific analyses using the Haddon Matrix Approach. We go beyond report submission, actively engaging with stakeholders to ensure the timely implementation of recommended remedial measures. This integration of expertise and hands-on involvement reflects a departure from traditional advisory roles, emphasizing a commitment to impactful implementation and results.
Q. What is Palladium India's long-term vision for the positive impact it aims to make, and how does the organization envision its role in shaping a more sustainable and equitable future?
A. We envision a future where all communities have the resources and opportunities to thrive, within a healthy and resilient environment. We believe that our expertise in systems-thinking, market-based solutions, and capacity-building can play a crucial role in shaping this future.
We see ourselves as both catalysts and implementers. We bring proven methodologies to drive immediate impact, but even more importantly, we aim to embed long-term positive change within systems. This means working closely with government agencies to enhance their effectiveness, partnering with businesses to incentivize inclusive and sustainable practices, and empowering communities to become drivers of their own development.
Ultimately, our vision is of an India where development isn't a top-down process, but a self-generating force driven by empowered communities, responsible businesses, and accountable institutions.
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