India is turning towards data maturity for social change

  • 1 January 2026
  • Media Article
  • Publisher : Hindustan Times
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Trisha Varma and Swetha Prakash write in Hindustan Times about the increasing adoption of data as a strategic lever for social change in India. Drawing on findings from the ISDM CDSSI Data Maturity Assessment (DMA), the authors highlight that while 66% of Social Purpose Organisations (SPOs) recognise the extreme importance of data, the majority remain at “emerging” or “progressing” levels of maturity. The article identifies significant barriers to progress, including low levels of digitalisation and legal uncertainty surrounding the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA). The authors argue that for India to reach its “Viksit Bharat” goals, the social sector must move beyond using data merely for donor compliance and instead embed a holistic data culture into core functions to drive sustainable, large-scale impact.

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Contact Author : cdssi@isdm.org.in
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Data Science for social impact

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