Upaya Social Ventures Launches Strategic Plan To Create 300,000 Dignified Jobs in India by 2030

Seeks catalytic partners to unlock inclusive employment opportunities for people living in extreme poverty

Seattle, WA / Bangalore, India — April 10, 2025

Upaya Social Ventures today unveiled their Strategic Plan 2030, charting a bold path to enable the creation of 300,000 dignified jobs for individuals living in extreme poverty across India. With a focus on delivering responsive capital, evidence-based insights, and ecosystem collaboration, the plan aims to transform how mission-aligned businesses access the resources they need to grow and scale impact.

“At Upaya, we’ve seen firsthand how a single job can be a turning point in someone’s life,” said Shruti Goel, Co-CEO of Upaya Social Ventures. “This plan is our call to action—to philanthropists, investors, and corporate foundations, working in the context of just transition, women’s economic empowerment, and poverty eradication—to come together and create the conditions where entrepreneurs can build inclusive businesses that lift communities out of poverty.”

“Despite India’s dynamic economy, millions remain trapped in poverty, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Early-stage enterprises that seek to generate employment for those living at the margins often struggle to access funding that meets their needs,” said A B Chakravarthy, Co-CEO of Upaya Social Ventures. “Upaya’s unique model bridges the gap between philanthropy and commercial investment, providing early-stage, risk-tolerant capital and capacity-building support to mission-aligned entrepreneurs.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM UPAYA’S STRATEGIC PLAN:

• Job Creation Goal: Enable 300,000 dignified jobs by 2030 through investment in scalable, job-creating enterprises in India.
• Capital Innovation: Design and deploy results-based financing and other innovative finance tools that unlock new capital for inclusive employment.
• Evidence & Advocacy: Share actionable data and insights to shift capital flow toward solutions that work.
• Ecosystem Partnerships: Collaborate with funders, investors, think-tanks, and entrepreneurs to scale impact collectively.

Upaya is now seeking catalytic partners—including philanthropic funders, Donor Advised Funds (DAF) owners, foundations, corporate initiatives, and mission-aligned investors—to help bring this vision to life. We are exploring sectors such as circular economy, agriculture and allied, renewables, platform economy, handmade and creative economy, and others with a high propensity of job creation for migrant workers, urban poor, and vulnerable communities.

“This isn’t just Upaya’s plan—it’s an invitation,” said Shruti Goel. “The scale of this challenge demands bold, collaborative action. We’re calling on partners who believe, like we do, that dignified work is the most powerful lever for fighting poverty and bringing sustainable change.”

You can explore the full Strategic Plan 2030 here.

ABOUT UPAYA SOCIAL VENTURES:

Upaya Social Ventures is a nonprofit organization building an inclusive economy by providing investment and support to early-stage businesses creating dignified jobs for people living in the most extreme poverty.

Upaya’s award-winning, impact-first model seeks out and supports oft-overlooked companies creating work that is safe, stable, inclusive, and rewarding—generating a transformative impact on families, communities, and economies.

Since its founding in 2011, Upaya’s portfolio companies have created over 46,000 dignified jobs across India. Please visit upayasv.org for more information.