New Delhi [India], August 26 (ANI): Founder and Chairperson of the Adani Foundation, Dr Priti Adani has urged philanthropists and social-impact leaders to rethink how funding is allocated, calling for greater investment in capacity building, institution building, skills and sustainable solutions at the AVPN Global Conference 2026 in New Delhi.
Addressing a welcome dinner hosted by the Adani Foundation at Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday, Dr Adani said the challenge facing philanthropy was no longer simply the availability of funds but how strategically those funds were deployed.
"With domestic giving and social capital at historic highs, our challenge is not scarcity of funds it is a challenge of strategic allocation," she said, adding, "And to address that challenge together, let us now shift our collective focus towards Capital for Capacity."
The AVPN Global Conference opened in New Delhi for the first time in its 13-year history, bringing together close to 2,000 funders, investors, corporates, policymakers and changemakers.
The three-day conference, themed "A Blueprint for Action in Asia", is focused on collaboration, capital mobilisation and innovative financing for inclusive growth across the region.
Dr Adani said philanthropy should move beyond funding immediate survival needs towards investments that help communities and institutions create lasting impact.
"While funding for survival is certainly important, the need of the hour is to shift to sustainable impact," she said, adding, "Funding for behavioural change, for institution building, for imparting skills, for innovative solutions, for climate action and for improving societal interconnectivity this is the shift I see defining the next era of giving."
In her address, Dr Adani highlighted India's development trajectory and said the country's innovation ecosystem was increasingly extending beyond major urban centres.
"Today's India must be seen and understood through the scale of our ambition, the speed of our transformation and the energy of our people," she said.
She said India had more than 200,000 recognised startups, with many located in small towns and villages rather than major cities and financial centres. According to Dr Adani, startups across the country are working on challenges ranging from waste management and climate change to drinking water, healthcare and agriculture.
She also referred to Vande Bharatam, a nationwide initiative launched by Gautam Adani to identify innovative ideas for India. Dr Adani said more than 26,000 startups applied, adding that many were developing solutions aimed at social and environmental impact.
Dr Adani also reflected on the Adani Foundation's 30 years of work with communities across India. She said the foundation's work had evolved into a life-cycle approach covering maternal and newborn health, primary education, skills, livelihoods, healthcare, disability support, community infrastructure, sports and grassroots climate action.
"If these 30 years on the ground have taught me one indisputable truth, it is THIS: Philanthropy is not about changing people's lives. It is about giving them the leverage to change their own," she said.
She cited the example of Kiran Harinkhede from Churdi village in Maharashtra, who benefited from the foundation's Livestock Development initiative. Dr Adani said improved cattle breeds and animal healthcare helped Harinkhede increase milk production and become part of a women-run dairy enterprise.
According to Dr Adani, Harinkhede now sells 25 to 28 litres of milk each day to a collection centre, with the income helping fund her children's education. She added that the initiative had created thousands of similar beneficiaries and a value chain worth more than USD 10 million annually.
Linking philanthropy with India's development goals, Dr Adani said the country's ambition to become a developed nation by 2047 would require stronger institutions and systems capable of sustaining successful programmes.
"Viksit Bharat will not be built by larger budgets alone it will be built by stronger institutions," she said, adding, "It will not be built only by funding more programs it will be built by funding the people and systems that allow impactful programs to endure and scale."
She added, "India has the ambition. Our communities have the ideas. Our young people have the energy. Our nonprofits have the trust and the reach. Philanthropy must now provide the capacity."
The AVPN Global Conference 2026 is bringing together stakeholders across sectors for discussions on blended finance, health impact, gender equality, economic inclusion and climate action, alongside cross-cutting themes including artificial intelligence, policy, impact investing and faith-based giving.
The conference will conclude with an Impact Investing Day focused on capital flows across grants, debt and equity and on moving solutions from innovation to scale. (ANI)
Dr Priti Adani urges philanthropists to shift focus to 'Capital for Capacity' at AVPN Global Conference 2026
