Why We Must Speak of Failure
In her powerful keynote, Rohini Nilekani opens the Impact Failure Conclave with a heartfelt reflection on personal, institutional, and sectoral failures. Drawing from decades of work across water, education, and publishing, she speaks candidly about the perils of ambition without reflection, donor pressures, and the systemic unwillingness to acknowledge and act upon failure. She highlights the evolution of the social sector from volunteerism to professionalism, the dangers of overfunding, and the need to embrace open, collaborative models. Her address also points to the role of civil society in the digital age and the importance of sustaining a “growth mindset” across institutions.
Equally philosophical and practical, the speech serves as a call to embrace complexity, scale ambition thoughtfully, and redefine success beyond metrics. Citing examples from Pratham Books, Arghyam Foundation, and her work in digital education, Rohini shares deeply personal lessons that offer an honest roadmap for navigating the inevitable pitfalls of change-making. She challenges the audience to question whether civil society’s imagination has shrunk even as problems have scaled up and to act boldly, courageously, and transparently in the face of that challenge.
Whether it’s learning to walk again like her grandson or watching Gandhiji’s “failure” evolve into a global movement, Rohini leaves us with an invitation to reflect deeply on our relationship with failure and how we can use it to spark new directions.
