Three ‘Ps’ come into play when determining the health of partnerships in India’s social development ecosystem: purpose, patience and perseverance.

You could add an ‘H’ to this list of indispensables: humility. Be they with the government — the biggest and most important piece on the board — philanthropies or NGOs, — collaborations crafted to serve citizens and communities, depend on these attributes.

The Tata Trusts certainly do, highlighting an organisational conviction that joining hands with likeminded entities is the best way to accelerate social uplift in the country. As the stories that follow illustrate, the partnership network nurtured by the Trusts has enabled development programmes in a range of areas to take root and thrive, to support a larger number of beneficiaries, and to reach the remotest corners of the land.

—Philip Chacko and Gayatri Kamath