About

Who we are

India Development Review (IDR) is Asia’s largest independent media platform that advances knowledge and insights on philanthropy and social impact.

Recognised as one of India’s top innovative organisations in 2023, we publish cutting-edge ideas, lessons and insights, written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems. Our writing is fact-based and editorially independent. And our job is to make things simple and relevant, so you can do more of what you do, better

We believe that knowledge has the power to drive change, and we hope that our platform serves as a stage for underserved topics, unheard voices, and the counter-narratives that are crucial to achieving social progress.

Why we exist

Although the development community in India has a vast trove of expertise and wisdom on advancing social change, that knowledge resides in silos, locked in people’s heads or buried within organisations. It seldom reaches the right people, in the right format, or at the right time, for them to act.

This limits access to learning, evidence and best practices, constraining what we can achieve—both individually with our programmes and money, and also collectively as a sector seeking to create impact.

We founded IDR as a nonprofit in 2017, with the objective of surfacing these ideas and insights, so that together we can do more and do right by the millions of Indians whom we work with and for.

IDR aims to become the voice of, and for, the social sector. We hope that our work will help create a sector that is better informed, embraces critical thinking, and therefore functions better.

What we do

IDR focuses on cross-sector solutions to development problems, cutting-edge ideas and research, and real-world practice. We know that knowledge is only a part of the solution for any complex problem; but we also know that it is a crucial part. So, we aim to publish substantive and thought-provoking articles that are rooted in facts, written in clear and simple language, and commissioned by a knowledgeable editorial team.

Our editorial direction is independent of any funder, nonprofit or partner relationship. We hold ourselves accountable to highlighting issues that matter, regardless of whether they belong to little-known grassroots organisations or big-name funders. We write about what has worked but also what has not. And, we showcase the big ideas even as we cover the functional knowledge that helps us strengthen our programmes and organisations.

IDR publishes at least one article every weekday. Many of the learnings and insights that we feature have never been documented digitally, giving them the potential to reach millions of people across the country, and the world. For this reason, with every story we commission or write, we ask whether it will move people to think, feel, or act differently; whether it will help create a sector that functions better.

2000+

articles in 5 years

26%

on under-discussed topics

28

states covered

Whom we serve

IDR is for anyone who is interested in driving social change in India. Our readers span the development community across India—from large metros to smaller towns and far-flung districts.

53%

of IDR readers and contributors are women

41%

of our readers fall between the ages of 25 and 34

36

states and union territories reached (in terms of IDR readers)

How we work

Our community of contributors includes experts, practitioners, donors, development thinkers and researchers, grassroots workers, and activists. When writing for IDR, they are placing their trust in us as a platform that will responsibly and effectively tell their stories, and share their expertise.

We consider this trust a privilege; and so we travel to where the people and the stories are; for some contributors we translate and transcribe, for others, we help them articulate their work and lessons for a lay audience.

At all times, our primary aim is to share the knowledge of our contributors in a manner that is most true to their experience, most relevant for our readers, and will have the farthest reach. And so, we also focus on getting our contributors’ articles republished in mainstream media.

IDR is a free resource: free to read (we will never go behind a paywall), and free to share or republish under Creative Commons. All articles carry a disclosure statement listing any potential conflict, and authors retain final sign off on all their articles.