Overview
The AVPN Global Conference 2026 concluded at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marking the first time the flagship event was hosted in India and celebrating AVPN’s fifteenth year of mobilising impact capital across Asia.
Attendance and Scope
Over three days, more than 2,400 delegates representing 52 markets attended, with over 350 speakers delivering content across more than 140 sessions, underscoring the event’s broad regional reach.
Key Partnerships and Initiatives
The conference officially launched the ASEAN Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Working Group, which was established in May 2026 under the mandate of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN‑BAC) to align private‑sector capital with ASEAN priorities and foster cross‑sector collaboration in Southeast Asia. A Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) feature was added to AVPN’s ImpactCollab platform, creating a dedicated space that connects funders with organisations that have undergone due diligence to advance gender equality and accelerate capital toward high‑quality WEE solutions. The Sangam Collaborative was announced to bring together government, philanthropy and ecosystem partners to strengthen public systems in education and health across five high‑need Indian states, with an ambition to improve outcomes for an estimated 70 million people; the launch was officiated by Ajay Piramal (Chairman, Piramal Foundation), Mark Suzman (CEO, Gates Foundation) and Amit Chandra (Chairperson, Bain Capital India Office and Co‑founder, A.T.E Chandra Foundation). The Global Mental Health Consortium was introduced to address fragmented funding and action on youth mental health across Asia by uniting cross‑border experts, policymakers and practitioners. AVPN also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Erth Zayed Philanthropies, formalising a collaboration that will deepen connections between Asian and West‑Asian philanthropic communities, share knowledge, networks and resources, and create new opportunities for UAE‑based philanthropy within AVPN’s regional network.
Strategic Emphasis
Throughout the convening, AVPN highlighted blended finance, catalytic capital and cross‑sector partnerships as essential mechanisms to unlock and scale solutions for climate action, health impact, gender equality and economic inclusion throughout the continent.
Leadership Perspective
Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, emphasized that incremental actions are insufficient given the systemic and urgent challenges facing Asia. She called for frameworks that reflect regional realities and for capital to be intentionally aligned with solutions built by and for local communities, stating that Asian leaders are ready to lead not only in ambition but also in execution.
Significance for India and the Region
Hosting the conference in India underscores the country’s growing importance as both a destination for impact capital and a source of innovative models in digital public infrastructure, healthcare, livelihoods, climate resilience and social innovation, aligning with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The event provided a platform to connect homegrown Indian models with a wider regional ecosystem, reinforcing India’s role in shaping Asia’s impact agenda.