March 31, 2025 – The AndPurpose Impact Forum in New Delhi, a carbon-neutral event held in March 2025, brought together a distinguished gathering of thoughtful leaders, social entrepreneurs, and sustainability advocates to drive actionable solutions for India’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Hosted by AndPurpose, a leading social impact company. The discussions at the New Delhi Forum centred around climate action, impact finance, sustainable urban and rural development, and the role of education in fostering environmental consciousness.
The event started with a welcome remark from Kamna Hazrati, Founder of AndPurpose, which laid the groundwork for conversations around systemic problems and innovative solutions. Sudarshan Suchi, Chief Development Officer at the Reliance Foundation, delivered the keynote session stating that one must remain as grounded as possible when working towards social change. “Titles will come and go, but when you keep your feet on the ground and live the reality, you find your real purpose,” he said.
He noted active participation at the community level is necessary to address social issues such as poverty, “You cannot arrive at a solution if you haven’t first sensed the problem.” He highlighted the need to appreciate and understand the social realities of communities rather than work with a preconceived notion that everything can be solved by using intelligence, data and books highlighting the need for community engagement to solve social problems at scale.
The AndPurpose Forum 2025 was notable for being a carbon-neutral event, which is quite unique in India’s event ecosystem. An event is classified as carbon neutral when all carbon emissions generated from travel, energy use, and logistics are offset through sustainable activities such as afforestation, renewable energy initiatives, or the purchase of carbon credits. This achievement was made possible through strategic partnerships with renowned sustainable organizations like ENEN Green and Grow Billion Trees. By hosting a carbon-neutral event, AndPurpose has taken significant steps to protect the environment and uphold its commitment to sustainability.
Shenoy Mathew, Chief Sustainability Officer, Arya.ag underscored the need for a shift in mentality in the agri-supply chain field, especially in businesses aligning to market work instead of project work being the order of the day. He emphasised the need to work with people to find out what needs to be solved, and this was a dominant theme during the forum.
Unsponsored social enterprises face challenges with financing, which is why NatureDots Co-founder, Snehal Verma, advocates for change in social impact investment structures. She mentioned that this impact investment sector has euphorically drifted from their primary aim and it is time to ensure that there is an impact and operationally driven financial system. Building on the same discussion, Shiva Shanker, Partner, Ankur Capital, analyzed different financing types, whether equity, debt, grant, or social impact bonds, and pointed out the importance of creative financing for the survival of social enterprises.
Shalini Singh, Co-Founder, People’s Archive of Rural India, pointed out the problems associated with the unfettered growth of cities. She noted that even though only 1.6% of the Yamuna River passes through Delhi, it is responsible for 76% of its toxicity, which is an indication of how poorly the city has been planned.
A clean energy transition was once again at the centre of discussion, with Shalu Agrawal, Director of Programmes at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), particularly praising the PM Surya Ghar Scheme, which seeks to enable 10 million homes to employ solar energy and funding. While appreciating this plan, she remarked that financial restrictions are a major reason for the limited uptake of rooftop solar installations. She pointed out the need for climate education in school curriculums, urging that children’s education should include lessons in sustainability to develop a climate-aware society.
The rural economy and the agriculture sector were among the other key areas for investment. Omnivore VC’s Partner Subhadeep Sanyal mentioned the dire necessity of improving agri-waste management, enhancing value chains, and extending R&D activities out of the lab. He pointed out that funding is still a major obstacle in achieving these goals. Bisleri’s CSR Head Byju Kurian showcased the company’s sustainability commitment through the “Bisleri Greener Promise” which focuses on recycling plastic, conserving water, and implementing circular economy approaches. He called for more CSR-focused philanthropic expenditure to be aimed at transforming businesses, not as an obligation that needs to be fulfilled.
The event’s overarching goal was beautifully captured by Kamna Hazrati, the Founder and CEO of AndPurpose. In her words, “The AndPurpose Summit and Forum 2025 is not only about discussion but mobilizing specific efforts. India is at a juncture of great economic prosperity but is also facing mounting socio-economic and environmental concerns. By uniting changemakers, policymakers, think tanks, and global corporations, we hope to convert outlandish concepts into actionable, real-world situations that integrate the UN’s aims of sustainable growth. It is now or never – we have to do it all together.”