Projects and Assignments
Impact Measurement and Management (IMM)
Preparation of Impact Measurement and Management Policy
Aavishkaar Group
Co-drafted (along with the Group Chairman), the first-ever Impact Management and Management Policy for Aavishkaar Group. This involved extensive research of global practices and internal consultations with the Senior Leadership.
Aavishkaar is one of India’s leading players in the impact investing space, managing assets of around $1.1 billion. It is a leader in developing the impact ecosystem in India and is also one of the leading players globally.
Design and Implementation of IMM systems
Aavishkaar Group
Set up systems for impact measurement and reporting centre for the Group companies and 70+ portfolio companies at Aavishkaar Group.
Led the development of IMM systems to underpin the development impact of group companies, including the Group’s venture capital, microfinance and SME financing arm. I worked closely with senior leadership of each business to describe the impact thesis, IMM components and indicators and finally, to design the systems for data collection from various departments of each business.
Impact Measurement Capacity and Implementation Support for a Growth Stage Social Enterprise
Flexibees
FlexiBees was started in 2017 with the vision to re-employ qualified and experienced women professionals who primarily had to step out of the corporate ladder and now want to step back into their career journeys via flexible careers. The company is scaling up and initiating their institutional fund raising journey.
Worked closely with the Founders for setting up their Impact Measurement and Management systems that allows them to strategize, articulate, track and report their business’ social impact.
Impact Measurement Framework Design and Implementation Support for an Accelerator
Social Alpha
Set up systems and built impact measurement and reporting capacities for the Waste Management focussed Accelerator and its cohort of five early and growth stage start ups.
Over the year, conducted workshops and one-on-one sessions for the start ups and the program team, jointly defined the impact thesis, impact KPIs and data collection systems. Finally, prepared impact reports for each start up and the Accelerator.
Testimonial
Swati’s role as the ‘Head of Impact’ at Aavishkaar Group required her to think at a conceptual level, articulate that thinking and then communicate with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders. As the very first person in this role, she not only dealt with the ambiguity that came with a new role but also made efforts to institutionalize the internal systems and processes.
Anurag Agrawal, COO,
Aavishkaar Capital
At Social Alpha, we have had the pleasure of working with Swati as the monitoring and impact partner for an Accelerator in the waste management space. Her zeal to understand the diverse business models in the cohort led to constructive conversations with the startups, culminating in the design and development of effective impact measurement systems.
Madhushree Narayan, Director,
Climate and Sustainability at Social Alpha
Social Finance and Impact Investment Research
Investment Research for Setting up a WASH focused Impact Investment Fund in India
BORDA, WASTE Fund, Netherlands
Led the detailed primary and secondary research for a study for a new European Impact Investment Fund to evaluate opportunities in the WASH sector in India.
Conducted detailed secondary research and one-on-one meetings with multiple small and growing businesses (SGBs) across India to prepare sharp documents discussing the overview of investment opportunities and risks in Solid Waste Management, Sanitation and Drinking Water Supply.
Also conducted a rapid analysis of 15 SGBs, covering strategic, operational, technological, statutory and financial aspects, focusing on investment risk.
Financing Faecal Sludge & Septage Management Services in Maharashtra: Role of Public Finance
Center for Water and Sanitation (C-WAS) CEPT University Ahmedabad
Supported C-WAS team towards research, analysis and report writing. The study explored potential sources for financing faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM) services in urban Maharashtra.
Researched the role of public finance in supporting and/or leveraging sanitation finance in the State. Recommended innovative financing ideas and developed policy and investment frameworks for the state government and other stakeholders to institutionalise FSSM in their programmes.
A Rapid Assessment of Potential of Public Financing for Fecal Sludge Management Services in India
Dasra (BMGF)
Led the research and analysis for rapid assessment of the sector to prepare a meaningful comparative assessment of the four states in India. The study areas included demography, sanitation service levels, policy and institutional framework, budget allocation and utilization for relevant state departments, the scope of ongoing national and state-level schemes/ programs and assessment of various public finance sources.
This was a part of the study where Dasra brought together various Partner Organizations in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s (BMGF) Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH) Portfolio.
Opportunity Analysis for Mobilizing Private Investment for Development in WASH Sector in India
Unitus Capital (USAID, DAI)
Provided subject matter expertise to the research team at Unitus Capital as they conducted extensive interviews with SMEs, Corporates, Investors and Experts across the WASH space in India. Led more than 30 conversations with promoters, senior management and fund managers to understand their business models and barriers towards scaling their businesses.
USAID aimed to assess the Urban WASH sector opportunities in India by assessing the private sector engagement (PSE) landscape through a comprehensive survey, covering both the demand and supply side of the urban WASH paradigm. Thus I explored various PSE opportunities focusing on the financial and commercial feasibility of PSEs entailing developmental impact.
ESG Policy Design and Implementation Support for growth-stage recycling business in India
Circulate Capital, USA
Circulate Capital, an impact‐focused investment management firm, has invested in a rapidly growing plastic recycling company in India. The business’ supply chain is a strategic component of its operations and presents significant challenges and opportunities in terms of ESG risks. Its a complex environment with suppliers comprising of waste aggregators, traders, recyclers, and waste pickers with no awareness or training about ESG risks and their management.
My role was to work closely with business’s management team to define its Supply Chain ESG management policy, develop a pilot Responsible Supplier Program that aligns to investor’s policies, and assist the business in implementation of key elements of the Responsible Supply Chain ESG program thus developed.
Article on Gender Lens Investing in India: An Investor’s Perspective
Swati Shah Gupta, Reinu Shah
‘Gender-lens Investing’ seeks to promote gender equality and empower women through capital allocation to companies prioritizing gender diversity and equity. This approach is becoming increasingly important in India, where gender inequality remains a significant challenge. This op-ed briefly summarizes our desk-based research on Gender Lens Investing in India and views on industry experts.
Testimonial
Swati has diverse experience related to urban finance and governance. She carried out a study on urban sanitation policy analysis and financing. The task required a good understanding of the regulatory and institutional aspects of the sector, knowledge of financing of urban infrastructure projects). She closely worked with our team to complete the assignment in time and meet our quality standards.
Dinesh Mehta, Professor Emeritus at CEPT University
Swati worked with us as a WASH Sector Expert to help set up an Impact Investment Fund in India. Swati thinks and acts independently, is a great resource for senior management teams to brainstorm and look at things fresh, and is responsible about deliverables and timelines. She gets along well with people and is a great asset either for long-term advisory work or shorter-term consulting projects. I would definitely recommend Swati for business model, due diligence, and impact assessment projects.
Manas Rath, Founder at LEAP Cities
Pro Bono Training and Advisory Board Roles
Preparation of Case Study for an International Study Program
University of Pennsylvania, USA
The CSIS team at UPenn updated the curriculum for the 2021 Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy. As part of this project, I prepared a case study video on Impact Measurement. I discussed how I had implemented tools from the CSIS program (that I attended in 2019) in my social impact work.
Rapid Training on Fundamentals of IMM for Impact Entreprises
Shakti The Empathy Project (STEP)
Designed and delivered a 5-hour training programme for Shakti’s 2020-21 cohort. The training was designed to bring clarity to core concepts and issues related to impact measurement, navigate the landscape of tools and approaches, critically examine issues and practices, and be equipped to measure and manage for impact across varied social and environmental sectors. The cohort consisted of more than 15 women-led startups and nonprofits.
Mukkamar and others
Supporting passionate and growing non-profit organizations in India as a Board member. Bringing my commitment and professional skills in areas of strategy, fundraising and impact measurement to deepen and widen the work in areas of education, women’s livelihoods and waste management.
Testimonial
As a business with a social vision, we knew intuitively that we were creating impact, but we did not have the language, and experience to articulate it clearly. Swati spearheaded and managed the impact articulation engagement for FlexiBees, to great success, and our satisfaction.
Swati was able to absorb the context of our unique impact thesis, looking at it from both a business and impact perspective. What really stands out about Swati is her ability to navigate big picture thinking as well as detail-orientation with equal ease.
Deepa N Swamy, Co-Founder, Flexibees
STEP (Shakti-The Empathy Project), Incubation Program for Women Social Entrepreneurs - India
