Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | 27th August 2025: India has no shortage of compassion—but it continues to face a critical capacity and leadership gap in its social sector. While philanthropic funding and CSR contributions are growing rapidly, the sector still grapples with a shortage of visionary leaders. Addressing this urgent need, India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), in collaboration with the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation (HBSF), has launched the Harish and Bina Shah Centre for Talent and Leadership. This first-of-its-kind institution is designed to nurture the next generation of values-driven changemakers.
Tackling India’s Leadership Deficit in the Social Sector
The new Centre represents a landmark investment in building nonprofit talent and leadership capacity. By focusing on leadership as the cornerstone of social impact, ILSS and HBSF aim to address the sector’s long-standing leadership deficit that has slowed progress, even as resources and funding have multiplied.
The Centre will roll out a range of initiatives including:
- Flagship leadership programs tailored for social sector professionals.
- Women’s leadership accelerators to strengthen female representation.
- Community-led engagement platforms for collaboration and peer learning.
- Research and knowledge resources to guide future strategies.
Driving Systemic and Sustainable Change
“We are at a moment in time where India’s development goals cannot be achieved without a strong and resilient social sector,” said Anu Prasad, Founder and CEO of ILSS. “This Centre is dedicated to nurturing values-based, future-ready leaders who can navigate complexity, drive systems change, and build lasting institutions.”
With long-term philanthropic backing from HBSF, the Centre will prioritize building leadership pipelines across different pools such as crossover leaders from other sectors, emerging women leaders, and organizational heads seeking to adapt management practices to the nonprofit context.
Archana Ramachandra, COO of ILSS and Head of the Centre, added, “Through cohort-based programs, communities of practice, and knowledge resources, this Centre will provide India’s social sector with world-class learning opportunities rooted in context.”
A Philanthropic Commitment to People-Centered Impact
“Investing in people is the most enduring way to create impact,” said Harish Shah, Chairperson of HBSF. “This partnership with ILSS reflects our belief in the incredible potential of nonprofit leaders and the pressing need to support their growth with world-class learning, peer networks, and strategic guidance.”
By 2030, the Centre aims to equip more than 1,000 leaders across the country, empowering them to strengthen institutions, scale impact, and accelerate India’s progress toward inclusive development.
Bina Shah, Executive Director of HBSF, emphasized, “Our vision is to place compassion, competence, and courage at the heart of leadership. We hope this Centre becomes a beacon for changemakers who are building a more just, inclusive, and resilient India.”
Building the Future of India’s Social Sector
The Harish and Bina Shah Centre for Talent and Leadership is more than just an institution—it is a catalytic platform set to reshape India’s nonprofit landscape. By combining leadership development, peer learning, and strategic philanthropy, it seeks to ensure that India’s social sector is not only compassionate but also highly capable of driving transformative change.
