To meet the commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the private sector will need to play a greater role. Inclusive businesses are companies that: “provide goods, services, and livelihoods on a commercially viable basis, either at scale or scalable, to people living at the base of the economic pyramid making them part of the value chain of companies’ core business as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or customers.” 

There are valuable models of inclusive business across Asia and the Pacific that are commercially viable and have social impact at scale. Inclusive business models are effectively supporting low-income and marginalized populations, providing them with technical assistance, access to finance, and facilitating integration into regional and global value chains. Inclusive businesses are harnessing technologies and business innovations to improve productivity and create entrepreneurship opportunities. 

Access to finance remains an issue for many inclusive businesses seeking to expand their operations or deepen their impact. Businesses face multiple challenges including the cost of capital and the scarce availability of affordable finance beyond the early stage. Investment readiness is also an issue, with companies facing difficulties in measuring and demonstrating impact.  

The second edition of the Impact Harvest Forum will build on the first edition organized in Bangkok in 2024. It will identify opportunities to recognize, invest in, and finance inclusive business models, facilitate their scaling up, and explore government partnerships for a way forward.”  

Objectives 

1. To explore opportunities for investing in inclusive businesses across sectors 
2. To identify concrete actions to promote and facilitate investments in inclusive businesses. 
3. To inspire more inclusive business models through masterclasses and knowledge sharing.  
4. To facilitate networking and explore partnerships among investors, governments agencies, development partners and firms.  
5. To showcase inclusive business models across sectors. 
6. To share policies and lessons learnt by local and national governments in seeking to promote inclusive business models. 
7. Initiate conversations on policies perspectives. 

Organizers 

Organized by the Government of Telangana and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in collaboration with NITI Aayog, Government of India. 

Participants 

The forum will welcome 150 participants from Asia–Pacific including business leaders, impact investors, government agencies, financial institutions, development partners, and inclusive business facilitators. 

For more information or to express interest in participating, please contact Ms. Saachi Singh at asdir-fp-inds@telangana.gov.in, with copy to Mr. Ishraq Fazal at ishraq.fazal@un.org.