Work with us

Here are the five values that guide what we do, how we do it, and who we do it for. 

Courage 

1. We challenge the status quo. We stand up for what we believe is right, even when it is unpopular or undervalued. 

2. We embrace new opportunities with a spirit of experimentation. 

3. We seek feedback and own our mistakes, so that we can constantly learn and be better. 

Playfulness 

1. We approach our work with a sense of curiosity and openness.   

2. Laughter and fun in the workplace are just as important to us as hard work. 

Integrity 

1. We do what we say and we say what we do. We are honest, reliable, and trustworthy. 

2. We are guided by a deep commitment to doing right by the communities we serve, and to upholding our values, even when no one is watching. 

Excellence 

1. We hold ourselves to high standards. We believe that all work—big or small—is deserving of our time, attention, and best efforts. 

2. We foster a culture of continuous learning and self-reflection—both of which are critical to helping us grow and produce our best work.  

Kindness 

1. We find strength in community and cultivate relationships with sincerity, grace, and respect. 

2. We put people at the centre of everything we do and create a culture where everyone feels supported and empowered to do their best work. 

Our Work

IDR’s mission is to advance knowledge on social impact in India.

Our editorial focus is on cross-sector solutions to development problems, cutting-edge ideas and real-world practice. We know that knowledge is only a part of the solution for any complex problem; but we also know that it is a crucial part. Therefore, we aim to publish substantive, well-written and thought-provoking articles in jargon-free language.

Our editorial direction is independent of any funder, nonprofit or partner relationship. We choose what to write about based on our collective judgement and experience of what will be most interesting and useful for our audiences. Independence, excellence and relevance are our highest priorities.

Voice

IDR works with a diverse community of contributors such as experts, practitioners, funders, researchers, writers, designers and freelancers. A large number of people working or investing in development in India consume, create or contribute to IDR. While we may speak in different voices, we share some core values.

We believe that the development community in India has a vast trove of expertise and wisdom on advancing social change. However, not all of it is accessible, locked as it is in people’s heads or within organisations. It is important to enable access to these valuable lessons, insights and decisions in order to move the field forward.

Operating Principles

IDR’s guiding principles are based on our responsibility to the reader to produce fair, independent and quality content.