Transforming Livelihoods with Blended Finance | Priya Naik on CSR & Philanthropy | Ei Dialogues

What does it take for philanthropy to move beyond charity and become a true catalyst for systemic change? In this episode of Ei Dialogues, Pranav Kothari, CEO of Educational Initiatives, speaks with Priya Naik, Founder & CEO of Samhita, about how catalytic capital, blended finance, and partnerships across sectors can unlock opportunities for millions of Indians.

From building India’s first network to accelerate the incomes and livelihoods of 10 million workers and entrepreneurs, to stories of resilience from street vendors during COVID, Priya reflects on what dignity, scale, and sustainability really mean in the world of impact.

You’ll hear about:
Why small amounts of philanthropic capital can unlock 500–1000x more resources
How blended finance and credit guarantees are changing access to credit for women entrepreneurs
Why empowerment is about income and control, not just softer metrics like agency and choice
Stories of dignity in the face of poverty — and why communities don’t want charity, but opportunity
What it takes for CSR funds to move from safe bets to bold, system-changing models

Chapters:
00:00 – Opening: Pranav introduces Ei Dialogues & Priya
02:40 – Priya’s childhood memory that shaped her purpose
06:30 – Centring the individual: solve for one person to scale to millions
09:32 – Measuring success: why income is the most meaningful outcome
11:07 – Four pillars for opportunity: skills, capital, jobs, safety nets
14:52 – Blended finance continuum
19:21 – Philanthropic credit guarantees for new-to-credit borrowers
20:28 – How small philanthropy unlocks govt & bank lending
24:54 – The catch: why funders hesitate
26:51 – CSR reality check: one-year timelines vs longer planning
29:16 – Returnable grants during COVID-19
33:53 – Why people return grants: experiments & the “recipient → donor” insight
39:44 – Nonprofit vs for-profit: service contracts as a practical route
43:14 – Invite legal & finance in — turn gatekeepers into co-creators
45:56 – Closing remarks & sign-off

💬 Join the Conversation:
How can philanthropy and CSR go beyond short-term projects to truly transform livelihoods at scale? Share your thoughts in the comments!
#EiDialogues #Philanthropy #CSR #Livelihoods #FinancialInclusion #SocialImpact #BlendedFinance #WomensEmpowerment

About Ei Dialogues
Ei Dialogues is a video interview series by Educational Initiatives, centred around advancing development in education at scale. The series synthesises perspectives across leadership, philanthropy, institution-building, technology for social good, and systemic transformation—via candid conversations with India's most forward-thinking change-makers.

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About Educational Initiatives (Ei)
Educational Initiatives (Ei), founded in 2001, is committed to improving learning outcomes for every child. Its Large-Scale Education Programs team works closely with low-income government schools across India through diagnostic student assessments, adaptive learning tools, teacher capacity building, and education research.
🌐 Learn more: https://Ei.study/

DISCLAIMER: All content and opinions expressed in the episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pranav Kothari or Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd. Comments appearing under this video are the personal opinions of their authors. The company reserves the right to monitor, edit, and moderate engagement as needed in line with its content and community policy.