Welcome to Decoding Impact, a social impact podcast hosted by Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Sattva Consulting.
Through Decoding Impact, we aim to spotlight critical societal issues, the solutions currently available and the substantial barriers and trade offs that exist today to achieve them.
Thought-provoking conversations with innovators, experts and leaders from civil society, business and government and offers a unique platform to spotlight tangible solutions to achieving societal impact.
Join the journey, let's decode impact, one conversation at a time.
From companies to communities: How CSR can be a force of good
Episode 9 | Season 4
Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Sattva Consulting
Guest: Sourav Roy, CEO, Tata Steel Foundation
As India’s CSR capital scales to an estimated ₹34,000 Crore, the sector stands at a historic crossroads. The conversation has turned to encompass the professionalisation of philanthropy and the technical rigour required to solve structural challenges.
In this episode, we are joined by Sourav Roy, CEO of the Tata Steel Foundation. Sourav shares a masterclass in shifting the development narrative from "needs-based" distribution to systemic transformation.
Gear up for a host of insights:
Creating impact is a technical skill, a truth that CSR Managers embody as they balance multi-thematic expertise, programme management, community engagement, finance tracking and more.
The need for a "bridge vocabulary" – developing a shared language is crucial to translate complex community realities into evidence-based corporate strategy.
Unlocking the potential of the East through CSR. The time has come to address capital gaps by recognising the unique ecological value and untapped potential of Eastern India.
Tune in to explore the intellectual rigour required to turn CSR into a true force for national development.
2 Apr 2026
The climate crisis has become a health crisis. What can we do about it? | Ft. Dr Soumya Swaminathan
Episode 8, Season 4
Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Sattva Consulting
Guest: Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Paediatrician & Global HIV/TB Expert, Former Chief Scientist at WHO, Former Director General of ICMR, Chair, MSSRF
Rising cases of dengue. Surging respiratory conditions. Harsher working environments. The climate crisis has become a public health crisis. The question remains: what can be done?
Rathish Balakrishnan is joined by the veteran Dr Soumya Swaminathan, who has served as the Former Chief Scientist at the WHO, to discuss the varying intersections of climate change and health.
Together, they explore
- The multiple ways in which climate change impacts health, from animal-human conflicts to climate anxiety
- How to build climate-resilient health systems
- The role of governments at all levels in shaping policy, leading research, and prioritising climate-informed health practices
- What solutions could look like, spanning from farmer-friendly apps to municipal-level climate action plans
The climate challenge looms large, but the drive to adapt, safeguard, and thrive does too.
Tune in for an engaging conversation with one of the most accomplished doctors of our time.
11 Mar 2026
How do India's poor use cash transfers? | Myths busted!
Episode 7, Season 4
Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Sattva Consulting
Guest: Pankhuri Shah & Muzamil Baig, Co-founders, Project DEEP
Do you believe we could lift India out of poverty with the help of cash transfers?Because the evidence says yes: direct and unconditional cash transfers improve recipients’ incomes, asset ownership, and mental well-being. Instead of “being wasted on alcohol” and “making people lazy,” the cash is directed into building houses, buying livestock, paying off debt, and making investments.
In this episode, Co-founders of Project DEEP (Devising an End to Extreme Poverty), Pankhuri Shah and Muzamil Baig join Rathish Balakrishnan for an opinion-shifting conversation as they uncover:
- Myths we have about the poor (and the rich)
- How communities actually use cash transfers to grow income and build assets
- The role of the government in enabling these schemes
- Types of transfers, their benefits and limitations, and what is needed to make them most effective
- The what and why of Universal Basic Income
This is an episode you don’t want to miss out on. Tune in here!
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