Bandhan Konnagar has launched SETU – India’s National Leadership Summit on Collaborative Social Development, bringing together policymakers, government representatives, corporate CSR and ESG leaders, development experts, philanthropists, academicians and civil society organisations to discuss ways to create scalable and measurable social impact.
The first edition of SETU was held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi under the theme, “From Policy to Practice: Building Partnerships for Scalable Social Impact.” The summit focused on strengthening cooperation between government, businesses, civil society, communities and knowledge institutions to address development challenges.
The event brought together senior representatives from government and industry, including Kamlesh Paswan, Minister of State, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India; Arun Kr Pillai, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation; Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Chairman, Bandhan Group; and Sanjib Kumar Das, CEO, Bandhan Konnagar.
SETU is intended to become a continuing national platform for discussions on collaborative development. The initiative seeks to connect policy, resources, implementation and community needs while encouraging partnerships that can move successful programmes from pilot projects to larger-scale solutions.
Speaking at the summit, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Chairman, Bandhan Group, said India’s development journey must ensure that rural communities, women, youth and underserved sections participate actively in economic and social progress. He also stressed the need for CSR programmes to focus increasingly on measurable and lasting outcomes rather than activities alone.
The summit included discussions on skill development, sustainable livelihoods, enterprise creation, access to credit and markets, community-led climate action, health and education. Ghosh also delivered a leadership address titled “From Inclusion to Institution: Building Development Models from the Grassroots.”
Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee spoke on the evolution of CSR from compliance-based programmes to collaborative and measurable impact. Shefali Agarwal, CGM, NABARD, discussed the Graduated Rural Income Generation Programme and approaches to supporting rural families living in extreme poverty.
The event also featured an impact study and a partnership announcement between Bandhan Konnagar and LEAP 300. Experiences from livelihood programme beneficiaries were shared, while Bandhan Konnagar’s CSR partners were recognised through the SETU Bandhan CSR Awards.
Sanjib Kumar Das, CEO, Bandhan Konnagar, said the summit marks the next phase of the organisation’s 25-year grassroots journey. He said SETU aims to build partnerships around education, skilling, livelihoods, financial inclusion and climate resilience.
Founded in 2001, Bandhan Konnagar works in poverty reduction and women’s empowerment. Its programmes cover education, health, livelihoods, youth skilling, financial and digital literacy, climate action, water and sanitation. As of March 2026, its programmes had impacted more than 44 lakh households across 16 states.
