In this episode, Nirav Khambhati speaks with Pompy Sridhar, India Director at MSD for Mothers, who shares how innovative finance, quality accreditation, and public-private collaboration are transforming maternal healthcare. Tune in to hear how MSD for Mothers is tackling preventable maternal mortality and shaping sustainable health systems in India and beyond.

Join Nirav Khambhati as he sits down with Priyank Tiwari, IIX's Senior Director for Research and Government Relations, to explore how Impact Investment Exchange is leveraging blended finance to drive sustainable development across South and Southeast Asia. Discover insights on Orange Bonds, institutional partnerships, and the future of impact investing from a leader with 20+ years of experience in the field.

Join Nirav Khambhati as he sits down with Caroline Chernov, World YMCA’s Lead for Global Impact Investing, to explore how the organization is leveraging innovative finance models to empower youth and build thriving communities. Learn about World YMCA’s Vision 2030 and its strategy for mobilizing capital to solve pressing global challenges.

In this episode, Nirav Khambhati speaks with Neena Joshi, Senior Vice President - Asia Programs at Heifer International, about transforming rural livelihoods through innovative finance. Discover how Heifer is building inclusive agrifood systems and connecting smallholder farmers, particularly women, to sustainable financing solutions across developing Asian economies.

In this episode, Luca Torre shares how riding a scooter through Indian slums while working at a microfinance cooperative sparked the vision for GAWA Capital. From working on the world's first microfinance IPO at Credit Suisse to building Spain's premier impact investment firm, discover the journey that's transforming financial inclusion across emerging markets.

In this episode, we talk with Bjoern Struewer of Roots of Impact about the transformative power of Impact-Linked Finance. Learn how this pioneering approach is creating 'better terms for better impact' and revolutionizing how capital flows to social enterprises worldwide.

The Blended Finance Podcast - Episode 11

Special Episode: The First Year of TBFC

Join Shivam Jumani as he hosts Aparna Dua, Nirav Khambhati, and Tushar Thakkar, the leadership team of The Blended Finance Company (TBFC), in this insightful episode.

Discover the origins of TBFC, the highlights of the first year, and the team's vision for the future of blended finance. Gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape, driving forces behind its momentum, and TBFC's role in shaping impactful opportunities.

Key Discussion Points:

• TBFC's Journey: Learn how the team's career paths converged to create TBFC.

• Managing Opportunities: Understand how TBFC addresses opportunities to scale blended finance transactions in India.

• Milestones and Vision: Reflect on TBFC's first-year achievements and what lies ahead.

• Blended Finance Trends: Explore key trends shaping philanthropic and government participation.

• Joining TBFC: Discover what TBFC looks for in candidates and what they can expect in return.

• A Day in the Life: Get a glimpse into the daily responsibilities of analysts, associates, and managers at TBFC.

Time Stamps:

0:57 – Introducing today’s podcast guests

2:47 – Overview of the topics for today’s discussion

3:32 – How the guests’ career paths led them to founding or joining The Blended Finance Company

9:36 – How TBFC is addressing key challenges in scaling blended finance transactions in India

12:42 – Reflections on TBFC’s first year and key milestones

21:42 – What excites you about TBFC’s work in the coming year?

26:30 – Key blended finance trends shaping philanthropic and government participation

31:56 – What TBFC looks for in candidates and what they can expect in return

34:19 – A glimpse into the daily responsibilities of an analyst at TBFC

37:51 – A look at the day-to-day role of an associate at TBFC

40:15 – What it’s like to work as a manager at TBFC

We are pleased to bring to you the tenth episode of The Blended Finance Podcast featuring Batya Blankers, CEO, CHANCEN International.
Having personally experienced barriers to higher education, Batya has made it
her mission to create equitable tertiary and vocational education opportunities in Africa. Under her leadership, CHANCEN International successfully introduced income-share agreements in Rwanda and is now scaling them across Africa. The company has already commenced operations in South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana.
Time Stamps:
2:08 – Batya delves into her personal journey and the motivation driving her
commitment to the international development sector.
4:04 – Batya explains the concept of income shares agreements and how they
differ from traditional education loans.
6:48 – Batya sheds light on factors that encourage ecosystem players to
participate in blended finance structures.
12:07 – Batya highlights key milestones achieved by CHANCEN International in
advancing its mission across different African countries.
15:33 – Batya reflects on the strategic decision to establish CHANCEN
International as a non for profit.
21:24 – Batya addresses potential risks associated with income share
agreements.
25:20 - Batya offers valuable advice for social entrepreneurs interested in
leveraging blended finance tools to scale their impact.
29:09 - Batya talks about the Global Income Share Alliance and its growing
footprint in fostering education access.
31:32 - Batya discusses the potential and replicability of Income Share
Agreements in the Indian context.
34:28 - Batya reflects on what is next for her and CHANCEN International.

We are pleased to bring to you the eighth episode of The Blended Finance Podcast featuring Dr. Emily Gustafsson-Wright. She is a senior fellow at the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution. She specializes in applied microeconomic and policy research within the fields of education, health and early childhood development (ECD) in low- and middle-income country contexts including the constraints around financing, capacity and quality of services, knowledge gaps, and political support. She is widely considered a global expert on innovative financing mechanisms including public-private partnerships and payment by results. She is a leading voice on the topic of social and development impact bonds and has published over a dozen studies on this topic.

Key Time Stamps:
2:41 – Emily discusses her personal journey and the motivations that led her to specialize in impact bonds.
6:14 – Her current work at the Brookings Institution and the projects she is involved with.
9:45 – Distinct characteristics of outcome-based financing compared to other financing methods.
14:40 – Key factors of a successful outcome-based bond
21:23 –Challenges encountered in implementing outcome bonds and strategies to tackle them.
28:28 – Important considerations when seeking institutional involvement in outcome-based projects
30:54 – Her thoughts on the current landscape and potential for outcome-based financing in the Indian market.
32:58 – Secondary and tertiary components of impact bonds
37:50 – Emily offers her perspective on how outcome-based financing will evolve over the next decade.

Resources mentioned:
1. Impact Bonds Snapshot: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/social-and-development-impact-bonds-by-the-numbers/
2. The Child Cost Calculator (C3): https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-childhood-cost-calculator-c3/