Hosted by AIP’s Isha Saxena, this episode features Poorvi Shah, CEO of Katalyst India, and Meera Rajeevan, COO of Vidyadhan, exploring what it will take to translate educational gains into sustained STEM careers for women in India. Drawing on their experience supporting young women across educational and professional transitions, they reflect on why gains in STEM education have not translated into sustained workforce participation. The conversation also explores the structural and social barriers driving these drop-offs, and the role philanthropy can play in strengthening retention, re-entry, and leadership pathways for women in STEM.

On International Women’s Day, we bring together three next-generation women leaders to discuss the evolving future of giving in India. As the country stands at a moment of unprecedented wealth transition, philanthropic capital will play a crucial role in addressing complex social challenges. In this conversation, our panelists reflect on what it means to inherit not just wealth, but responsibility—and how women and next-gen leaders can act as a bridge between generations to unlock capital for meaningful social impact. Watch the full discussion by AIP to hear their perspectives on legacy, leadership, and the future of philanthropy in India.

In our first SMEs Speak episode, we speak with Shobhini Mukerji, Executive Director of J-PAL South Asia, to further unpack key themes from our Monitoring & Evaluation Primer. Drawing on her extensive work with governments, donors, and civil society, Shobhini discusses how philanthropists can balance objective impact with personal meaning, leverage M&E to enable scale, and build stronger organisational feedback loops.