As an investment firm focused on social impact, we feel that it is imperative to measure the impact of our work through our Impact Framework. This not only helps us stay focused on our purpose but also helps our entrepreneurs serve their customers better.
We recognise that measuring impact is an art and a science. In our approach, we strive towards rigour, but aim to avoid the trap of false precision. We capture key metrics in a unifying framework, but also seek to learn from the varied nuances of our investees’ work. We aim for simplicity but strive for insight.
For all of us at Omidyar Network India, the impact achieved to date has spurred an even greater commitment to working with those who can create a meaningful life for every Indian. As our organisation evolves, we plan to refine our approach to incorporate learnings from our experience and continually improve the utility of our impact framework.
We measure impact at two levels:
A. Direct impact: Impact of the products and services offered by our investees on their own customers or beneficiaries
B. Sector impact: Catalytic change spurred at the sector level, beyond the end beneficiaries of our investees
In addition to measuring these six metrics, we also track specific impact indicators that are unique to each investee, based on the sector in which they operate. This helps assess their contribution to impact at a granular level, in consonance with the investment’s ‘theory of impact’.
Our assessment is based on an extensive process, including data collection from investees, customer insights surveys undertaken by an external organisation, and reviews with our investment teams.
We aggregate the results obtained across all investees, and assess progress at the level of our initiatives, our four strategic pillars, and as an organisation as a whole.
We also maintain a snapshot of all investees across the dimensions of direct and sector impact. Based on our assessment, we classify investees into three groups, as described in the figure below.
We have set annual targets for our current strategy period, which runs until 2023. We aspire to cumulatively reach ~970M individuals, of which 50% would belong to the Next Half Billion.
Our past performance and future targets
1. Reach does not represent unique lives, as the same person may be served by multiple ON India investees
2. 2019 figures for depth and inclusion are based on a sample survey of customers of 16 ON India investees
3. This figure is in real 2018 terms based on the low-income threshold as defined by the World Bank ( in 2011 PPP $), which is equivalent to Rs. 21.000/household/month
Since 2008, Omidyar Network India has invested $322 Million in ~128 organisations working across 6 sectors, cumulatively reaching more than 550mn individuals.