The Flipkart Foundation hosted its third annual flagship conference, Sampark 2025: Empowering Communities, Unlocking Potential, on November 20, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Designed as a day of inspiration, reflection, and actionable dialogue, Sampark 2025 brought together changemakers from across the social impact ecosystem who share the Foundation’s ethos.
The Flipkart Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Flipkart Group, is rooted in the belief that progress is meaningful only when it is shared. With partners across the spectrum, it works to expand opportunity for underserved communities and create sustainable, on-ground impact. The Foundation supports programmes in skill development, entrepreneurship and market access, environmental responsibility, and community development.
Guided by the purpose of unlocking potential and building resilient, self-reliant communities, it aligns its efforts with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, driving long-term transformation in education, livelihoods, climate action, and social well-being. Through strong partnerships and grassroots collaboration, it strives to build an India where growth is equitable, and no one is left behind.
The morning began with a warm welcome and an outline of the Flipkart Foundation’s ambitious roadmap, delivered by Ms. Sarah Gideon, Vice President – Corporate Affairs, CSR & Flipkart Foundation. This vision-setting address culminated in a moment of artistry and emotion: the release of the Flipkart Foundation’s sand-art film. This visual narrative was a beautiful, fluid tribute that captured the vibrant diversity and the aspirations driving India’s communities.
The film’s focus on inclusive growth and community hope instantly paved the way for the most compelling part of the opening: the raw, heartfelt stories of change from the ground. They were voices that provided the most authentic validation of the Flipkart Foundation’s work, proving that partnership and empowerment truly change lives.
Stories of Change
Mr. Vishnu Suthar shares his journey at Sampark 2025. Image Source: Flipkart Foundation.
Vishnu Suthar, Artisan, supported by the Flipkart Foundation in partnership with AIACA, took the stage, representing the preservation of Indian heritage. Today, Vishnu empowers over 400 women artisans in the Tharad district of Gujarat who specialize in the intricate, age-old craft of appliqué products, turning their traditional skills into sustainable, dignified livelihoods.
Ms. Chandana R shares her story at Sampark 2025. Image Source: Flipkart Foundation.
Chandana R, BFSI Trainee, supported by the Flipkart Foundation in partnership with the Smile Foundation, delivered a powerful account of transformation. She spoke candidly about how completing the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance) course didn’t just help her secure a job but became the key that unlocked her confidence.
This was followed by the keynote address from Mr. Mohammed Asif, Executive Director, Plan International [India Chapter], who reinforced the power of community-led development.
Mr. Mohammed Asif delivers the keynote address at the Flipkart Foundation Sampark 2025. Image Source: Flipkart Foundation.
With more than two decades of experience, Asif explained how real change happens when women, youth, and children take the lead. Alongside SHGs, he also emphasized the roles of Bal Panchayats, community health networks and school management committees in empowering communities.
Asif highlighted that lasting progress depends on partnerships across government, civil society, and corporate foundations. “Unless the last person, the last child, the last adolescent, the last woman is involved, we will not be able to ensure the potential of the community towards driving change,” he added.
Looking ahead to India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, he stressed the need for inclusive and tech-enabled community systems.
Sampark – The Power of Connection
Next, the chief guest of the day, Smt. Leela Nandan, IAS officer (Retd.) and former Secretary – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, took the stage.
Smt. Leela Nandan, Chief Guest, delivers the special address at the Flipkart Foundation Sampark 2025. Image Source: Flipkart Foundation.
Smt. Leela’s address reinforced the central idea of the event – meaningful impact begins with sampark, the power of connection. She outlined a clear vision for sustainable and inclusive development, emphasizing climate action, community-led innovation, and the role of corporations in enabling long-term change.
“We have to focus on the mitigation of emissions or reduction of emissions while adapting to the impact of climate change because we’re all vulnerable to its impact. It also has added a third dimension that is the engagement of the citizens and of the communities with the larger narrative of action to combat climate change,” she added.
She also highlighted the importance of partnerships that build on existing community structures and connect rural strengths to national and global opportunities. Her reflections linked the Foundation’s initiatives to India’s evolving sustainability agenda—Mission LiFE, green skills development, circular economy efforts, and market access for eco-friendly rural products. Her message set the tone for a day focused on unlocking potential through collaboration, resilience, and purpose-driven action.
The event also served as the platform for unveiling the Foundation’s Overview Document for FY 2024-25 that captures the programmatic impact and third edition of the Compendium of human stories of change, which not only detailed its progress, empowering over 3.26 million lives through grassroots initiatives since 2022, but also formalized its commitment to the ambitious 20 million beneficiary goal for the coming decade.
Community. Collaboration.
Recognizing that solving complex challenges requires collective wisdom and commitment, the event transitioned to a panel of remarkable changemakers. The session, moderated by Mr. Rahul Bansal, Partnership Lead, UNICEF brought together Ms. Anjali Makhija, CEO & Trustee, S M Sehgal Foundation, Ms. Jyoti Sharma, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, Ms. Priya Naik, Founder & CEO, Samhita Social Ventures Pvt. Ltd., and Ms. Sonali Khan, Managing Director, Sesame Workshop India to discuss how genuine partnership, rooted in shared trust and acknowledging local realities, is the only path to meaningful, lasting change.
From left to right: Ms. Jyoti Sharma, Ms. Anjali Makhija, Mr. Rahul Bansal (Moderator), Ms. Priya Naik, and Ms. Sonali Khan partaking in the panel discussion at Sampark 2025. Image Source: Flipkart Foundation.
Their insights further underscored how climate action, technology, skilling, and community wellness converge to define the future of development collaboration. Highlighting the need for community development, Jyoti Sharma said, “Community has to be at the center of everything, their needs, their situations, their context.”
The changemakers spoke about climate resilience, digital readiness, economic mobility and well-being. Their message was clear and consistent: collaboration succeeds only when it respects local realities, builds on shared strengths and is anchored in trust.
Setting the context for the discussion on climate resilience and community-led solutions, Anjali Makhija highlighted the need for deeper, more collaborative actions. “We need to simplify climate issues for women farmers, co-create sustainable water and agriculture practices, and design blended finance models that deliver the right capital at the right moment. When we do this, partnerships move beyond short-term interventions and begin shaping long-term systems change.”
Framing her insights through the lens of collaboration, Priya Naik noted that true partnership in the development sector begins with a commitment to jointly strengthening individuals through skilling, capital access and market linkages. She shares, “A key insight for NGOs is that blended finance directly fuels skill-building and mobility for individuals who are otherwise left behind in a K-shaped economy. When NGOs link community members to markets, banks, and employers – with grants, returnable grants, or credit support – they are not just funding programmes but enabling people to become skilled, bankable and future-ready.”
While technology came through as a core enabler, Sonali Khan brought in the human dimension by reaffirming that well-being, rights, and agency, especially for women, are central to any partnership. She spoke about respecting power dynamics, building shared theories of change, and leaning into each partner’s strengths. “If we work to each other’s strength, that can actually be the cornerstone of any collaboration,” she added.
Together, their views offered a clear blueprint for collaboration: shared value, co-creation, transparent governance, strong digital foundations, and community-led innovation. These principles echo the Flipkart Foundation’s approach. And when climate action, technology, skilling and well-being come together through cohesive partnerships, they create impact that is resilient, scalable, and truly future-ready.
Grounded in Hope
Storytelling sits at the heart of how social change is understood, supported, and sustained. This idea framed the fireside chat with Mr. Bhawani Singh Shekhawat, Trustee & Advisory Board Member, Akshaya Patra Foundation, and Ms. Swati Srivastava, Vice President, Partnerships, Project Nanhi Kali, & Senior General Manager – CSR, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. | ESG. Moderated by Ms. Sarah Gideon, their conversation explored why narratives do more than describe impact—they shape how communities, partners and donors emotionally connect with a cause.
From left to right: Ms. Sarah Vanita Gideon (Moderator) in conversation with Mr. Bhawani Singh Shekhawat and Ms. Swati Srivastava. Image Source: Flipkart Foundation.
Both speakers reflected on how stories anchor purpose, make challenges relatable, and create space for hope, responsibility and participation. Speaking about storytelling as a shift from data to emotion, where vulnerability and authenticity deepen collaboration, Bhawani Singh Shekhawat said, “When people feel a story rather than simply hear facts, their engagement becomes personal and lasting.”
Swati Srivastava added that “Narratives grounded in hope and real progress motivate supporters far more than highlighting challenges alone. To me, stories that show solutions and possibilities inspire belief in the future and strengthen long-term commitment.”
Authentic voices, children, communities, and lived experiences cut through complexity and bring clarity. Bhawani emphasized how these voices reveal truths that numbers cannot, while Swati highlighted the importance of pairing real stories with relatable data to build trust and partnership.
Together, their viewpoints mirror the Flipkart Foundation’s communication ethos: storytelling rooted in authenticity, dignity and community experiences, designed not just to inform but to inspire collective action.
Summing up the event, Ms. Sarah Gideon said, “The successful convening of leaders, partners, and innovators at Sampark 2025 demonstrated the irreplaceable value of bringing the ecosystem together. In my view, events like this serve two critical purposes: First, they validate the need for strategic, long-term investments in social infrastructure. Second, they demand accountability. The launch of our 3rd Edition of the Compendium of Stories underscores that mandate: our narrative must be credible, measurable, and focused entirely on lasting impact. Thank you to everyone who contributed to a day focused on turning collective dialogue into tangible social change. The groundwork for the next year has been laid.”
The event concluded with a special recognition ceremony for Saathis, felicitating the Foundation partners for their unconditional support and the tangible, real-time impact they deliver across the four key pillars. With these strong alliances, the Flipkart Foundation aims to reach 20 million direct and indirect beneficiaries by 2032.
In a reflection shared following Sampark 2025, Puja Trisal, Head of Flipkart Foundation, encapsulated the spirit of the day:
“What a powerful day at Sampark 2025. The energy, the commitment, and the depth of conversation reinforced our foundational belief: communities are not passive recipients of aid, but the co-creators of progress. Hearing the ‘Stories of Change’ directly from the field—from individuals driving transformation—was the heart of the event. We left the conference with an invigorated agenda for the Flipkart Foundation, focusing on scalable, community-led models across skill development and livelihoods. A huge thank you to every partner, speaker, and changemaker who contributed to this vital dialogue.”
