India is one of the most dynamic social entrepreneurship environments globally with an estimated two million social enterprises. A vibrant start-up community as well as sustained interest and support from impact investors in India and the world, have resulted in hundreds of projects providing access to basic services and making dramatic changes in the lives of millions of Indians.

The Bertelsmann Foundation mandated Intellecap to undertake research and develop a report that provides insights into the social enterprise landscape in India. This report focuses on seven sectors based on their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. The sectors are Agriculture, Clean Energy, Education, Financial Inclusion, Water, Sanitation and Healthcare. The report starts with portrayal of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem with the key stakeholders and their focus areas. Then it deep dives into the seven chosen sectors, highlighting policy initiatives as well as start-ups working on meeting the SDGs in their sector. Finally, it exhibits the key trends for the sector, from both an entrepreneur’s and an impact investor’s perspective in the coming five to ten years. Since the research is conducted for a Germany-based foundation, the recommendation section focuses on how India and Germany can cooperate to create a mutually beneficial partnership. This report will help policymakers identify key interventions, help impact investors fine-tune their sectoral focus and help social entrepreneurs tweak their value propositions.