In our journey towards a developed and self-reliant India, the social sector is increasingly adopting data as a lever. As the sector continues to address complex, interconnected developmental challenges, data-driven decision-making becomes a critical pathway to sustainable and scalable impact. According to the ISDM CDSSI Data Maturity Assessment (DMA), the largest such survey of the Indian social sector, 70% of India’s Social Purpose Organisations (SPOs) are already in the emerging and progressing stages of data maturity, signalling a sector-wide recognition of the importance of data readiness.
Data is often viewed as a ‘numbers’ game, but when data is collected and interpreted, appropriately and holistically, its applications go beyond compliance. Data capabilities are crucial for SPOs to drive and scale social change meaningfully. This includes institutionalising data, embedding it across core functions, and enabling learning loops. Driven by high intent, growing awareness, and baseline data use, the social sector is on the brink of transformation, opening the gateway to data-driven development in India’s growth story.
Despite heightened awareness (66% of SPOs consider data extremely important), challenges such as low levels of digitalisation and uncertainty around laws like the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) hinder the adoption of data-driven practices in SPOs, especially smaller ones and those with fewer resources.
The use of data is largely concentrated in traditional areas: Monitoring, evaluation, and donor reporting. However, this is only part of the story. The survey found a growing culture of internal learning, particularly among mid-size SPOs. This reflects changing expectations, both from funders who are now prioritising impact narratives over impact numbers, and increasingly digitally-savvy communities, who seek accountability and personalised engagement. SPOs recognise data capabilities as essential to their work: Building the capacity to collect, interpret, and use data effectively to inform decisions, improve programmes, and demonstrate results.
{{/usCountry}}The use of data is largely concentrated in traditional areas: Monitoring, evaluation, and donor reporting. However, this is only part of the story. The survey found a growing culture of internal learning, particularly among mid-size SPOs. This reflects changing expectations, both from funders who are now prioritising impact narratives over impact numbers, and increasingly digitally-savvy communities, who seek accountability and personalised engagement. SPOs recognise data capabilities as essential to their work: Building the capacity to collect, interpret, and use data effectively to inform decisions, improve programmes, and demonstrate results.
{{/usCountry}}Data enriches social work and development programmes when there is a human dimension to it. This requires reframing data from mere metrics to insights, actively broadening what we consider as data. SPOs that intentionally weave together quantitative metrics and qualitative narratives, such as community voices, field observations, and personal stories, consistently score higher in critical areas like analysis, interpretation, and leadership trust. This integration allows SPOs to better demonstrate the depth and nuance of their impact and foster more adaptive and responsive programmes.
To advance data maturity, SPOs must expand where data is applied. Most collect data for monitoring and evaluation, but not as much for internal functions. In contrast, the corporate sector has, for long, adopted data-driven practices to optimise operations, forecast trends, and manage talent. SPOs can do the same in their own way, using data to streamline fundraising activities and improve HR processes. This can enhance operational resilience in the long-term, turning data from a compliance burden into a strategic asset for organisational growth.
Building data maturity is a sector-wide transformation that demands internal alignment, cultural change, and collaborative efforts.
- Internal alignment: Leaders must frame data maturity as a strategic priority for the entire organisation instead of a compliance requirement. This involves investing in digital infrastructure and building literacy across teams, not just within monitoring and evaluation units.
- Culture and mindset: The DMA shows a clear divide in culture between SPOs in advanced versus initial stages of data adoption. Cultivating an organisational culture where data is openly shared and used for learning will help ensure that all departments are equipped to deal with data. This includes breaking down silos and fostering dedicated spaces for data-driven dialogue.
- Collaborative approach: It’s important to recognise that data maturity is not simply an organisational matter. It needs consistent collaboration between stakeholders. The first step is for SPOs to do an honest self-assessment, using frameworks like the ISDM CDSSI DMA, to identify priorities. Funders too can contribute by becoming capacity-building partners, co-investing in the systems SPOs need for data maturity. Finally, the sector must accelerate knowledge-sharing. By openly exchanging tools, templates, and best practices on data governance and practice, SPOs can collectively build data maturity for the sector as a whole
India’s social sector is taking steady steps to mature from intent to integrated data practice. By reimagining data as a multidimensional asset for learning and strategy, and by building the ecosystems to support it, SPOs can transcend compliance. They can build the resilient, adaptive, and deeply insightful organisations needed to navigate the complexities of modern developmental challenges and truly scale their impact.
This article is authored by Trisha Varma, director, Global Knowledge Hub and Swetha Prakash, centre lead, Centre for Data Science and Social Impact, ISDM.