ILSS Releases Key Reports at India Women Leadership Conference

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 3 December 2025

• ILSS released two reports at the India Women Leadership Conference
• The event also emphasizes women's leadership, as well as how to construct a more inclusive future
• One report, produced in collaboration with Antara Advisory

India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) launched two critical reports on the second day of the India Women Leadership Conference, an event celebrating women changemakers and fostering a more inclusive and equitable future.

The first report, The State of Nonprofit Advisory Boards in India: A Growing Resource to Nonprofits in the Social Sector, written for Antara Advisory, describes the increasing trend toward using advisory boards as resources for guiding nonprofit organizations in the social sector.

This report outlines a model for creating an advisory board as a second level of governance to a governing board. Advisory boards can support a governing board in three key areas: providing strategic insights, improving decision-making, and ensuring accountability.

The second report, Strong Leadership and Management in the Social Sector, argues that if the social sector wishes to build a sustainable and impactful future, it will require strong leaders who have been developed through effective leadership development programs.

The report examines the internal challenges posed by relying on founders; a thin talent pipeline; and weak management systems; as well as the external pressures created by increasing compliance requirements; increased pressures to fundraise; and uneven adoption of technology.

It advocates for comprehensive approaches to developing leaders that include building management capability, building resilience, coaching, and peer learning.

The report concludes that sector funders and other stakeholders must provide resources to help develop leadership capacity, offer flexible financing options, and promote the use of technology in the sector.

Rekha Menon, ex-Chairperson of Accenture India and Managing Director, said that the social sector investing in leadership is vital, particularly in terms of supporting female leadership.

She believes that having deep collaboration among government, business, and civil society with a sustained commitment to building capacity, innovation, and developing talent is essential for making these changes occur.

Founder/CEO Anu Prasad described how the ILSS Conference in 2025 would expand on ILSS's commitment to developing female leaders and having a positive impact socially. This will serve as a place for participants to network, collaborate, and learn.

The most recent ILSS attracted 190 female leaders from nonprofit, business, philanthropic, and grass-roots organisations and was structured to facilitate dialogue about leadership, governance, organisational development, and the changing nature of the social sector in India; participants would also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about opportunities to collaborate.