India, Oct. 13 -- India has a rich history of social institutions. From AMUL's cooperative revolution in the 1940s to SEWA's women-led movement since the 1970s, our country has shown the world that institutions rooted in collective purpose can transform lives at scale. These were not "projects" that shone briefly; they became institutions, trusted, resilient, and enduring.

Yet if we are honest, India has not created many such institutions in recent decades. The social sector is crowded with smart projects and inspiring pilots, but too few scale sustainably. Most depend on the right situation, charismatic founders, or government goodwill. Once these supports fade, so too does the impact.

After 12 years of working across government progra...