A member of the Social Finance Global Network, Social Finance India was launched in mid-2018 as a platform to create and bring innovative financial facilities to India targeted at achieving social outcomes at scale.

Social Finance India is committed to mobilizing catalytic capital to address the current SDG funding gap in India.

Catalytic capital is defined as an investment capital that is patient, risk-tolerant, concessionary, and flexible, relative to a conventional investment. It is an essential component to achieving the SDGs, which currently faces an annual $5 to $7 trillion financing gap globally. Catalytic capital can help meet the demand for more capital across the risk-return spectrum, complement and pave the way for conventional investment, and mobilize additional capital through a range of blended finance solutions.

It can take the form of debt, equity, or guarantees, but the ultimate goal is to generate positive social and environmental impact and enable third-party investments that otherwise would not be possible (due to a nascent market, lack of data on deals and results). The long term vision is to help organizations drive innovation, build a track record and knowledge base, and leverage additional investments.

Typical catalytic investors are driven by their mission, values, or an investment mandate that requires or encourages them to prioritize impact. These include charitable foundations, public development institutions, family offices and high net worth individuals, and select corporations and corporate foundations.