New Delhi, November 07, 2025: The Work4Progress India Annual Conference 2025, organised by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, convened over 100 leaders, practitioners, and changemakers at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, to advance inclusive entrepreneurship and systems change for resilient and sustainable livelihoods.
Her Royal Highness the Infanta Cristina, Director of the International Area at the ”la Caixa” Foundation, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities and reducing inequalities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She said, “What makes W4P unique is its ability to listen deeply to local aspirations and co-create solutions that truly work for communities. The program brings together diverse actors across sectors to collaborate, adapting to changing environments and conditions, learning continuously—shaping strategies through developmental evaluation and feedback.”
The conference, supported by ecosystem partner Arthan, brought together stakeholders from civil society, financial institutions, research organisations, and government bodies to share insights on scaling inclusive entrepreneurship through systems thinking. Opening the session, Anchal Kakkar, Co-Founder of Arthan, welcomed participants, followed by Kakul Misra, Director–Strategic Capacity Building, Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), who presented insights on leadership and management in the social impact sector.
The Work4Progress (W4P) platform in India operates through four networks — Development Alternatives (DA), ActionAid Association, ACCESS Development Services, and Rang De, with ISDM as the platform governance partner. Together, these networks have supported over 27,500 enterprises, mobilised €2.5 million in resources, and partnered with over 50 organisations to institutionalise social innovation approaches.
Marta Solsona Masana, Head of the Work4Progress Programme at the ”la Caixa” Foundation, said, “Work4Progress fosters collaboration, deep listening, and co-creation to drive systemic change. Through our Virtual Lab — a digital platform connecting networks in India, Mozambique, Peru, and Colombia — we're enabling knowledge sharing and data-driven learning across borders. Notably, 74% of active prototypes now integrate climate adaptation and resilience.”
Gorka Espiau, Scientific Director of the Work4Progress Programme, noted, “Strong partnerships, shared learning, and aligned strategies are essential to driving systemic change. The Work4Progress ecosystem demonstrates how collective action can accelerate social innovation at scale.”
Kanika Verma, Executive Vice President of Development Alternatives, emphasised, “Social innovation is not a tool, but a way of thinking and leading differently — it's about listening deeply, learning continuously, and co-creating with courage.”
Smita Ram, CEO and Co-Founder of Rang De, added, “Listening has become intentional in our work; it’s what helps us move from prototypes to real, community-owned solutions.”
Vipin Sharma, CEO of ACCESS Development Services, highlighted, “Our collective challenge is to move from fragmented efforts to systemic solutions. The Work4Progress network is showing that when collaboration is deep and continuous, it can unlock sustainable, resilient livelihoods at scale.”
A panel discussion on “Accelerating Green and Inclusive Livelihoods”, moderated by Raisha Galib of Climate Asia, featured Suhela Khan (UN Women India), Benjamin Mathew (CITTA India Education Foundation), and Ved Arya (Buddha Institute). The panel explored collaborative pathways to support women and youth entrepreneurs facing climate and market challenges.
The conference concluded with a joint commitment from partners to strengthen local ecosystems that empower women and youth, promote social innovation, and build dignified, climate-resilient livelihoods across India.
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