Do we really know how NGOs work? What kind of an impact they can create? How does an NGO drive a 100 Crore uplift in incomes of street-side ironing vendors? How do they integrate into already existing social, economic, and institutional ecosystems? Should you work for an NGO? What can a young professional look forward to while working at an NGO?There are so many questions that can help change the narrative in India around NGOs. In this episode of ”The Thing With This One Is” Krishnan Ranganathan joins Ram Deshpande to bust myths about NGOs. Krishnan is the co-founder and Director of Udhyam Learning Foundation, an NGO active in India. Together, Krishnan and Ram navigate some of the most important and often misunderstood questions surrounding the non-profit and development sector, offering clarity on how NGOs actually function, collaborate, and create sustainable change.Krishnan dives deep into the tremendously successful Istri project, which created an estimated income uplift of ~₹100 Cr over the last six years. Thousands of ironing vendors have benefitted by switching to LPG powered iron-boxes with the help of Udhyam. This project is symbolic of the deep insight-driven work taken up and executed with precision by Udhyam Vyapaar. The commitment to cause is evident in this discussion.Chapters

0:00 Sneak Peek and Intro

01:54 Montage of images showcasing Krishnan's work at Udhyam

02:48 Getting to know Krishnan Ranganathan, the co-founder and Director of Udhyam Learning Foundation

07:25 How a D in Maths in college triggered a desire to improve education

11:29 What is Udhyam NGO? What programs does it run?

16:25 Udhyam is spread all over India with a variety of people across domains

20:04 The thing with how NGOs are perceived by the GenZ

22:51 How ironing vendors replaced coal with LPG; small scale change for big scale impact

27:32 The thing with funding for Udhyam – HNIs and CSR

31:20 Breakdown of micro costing for Ironing in the Istri project – 10X impact

34:55 Scaling up Istri Project with the involvement of petroleum companies and gas agencies

36:32 Urban vs. Rural – how Udhyam helps nano entrepreneurs in smaller cities

41:10 Approach and integration at the ground level

42:55 Outcome focused decision making and consequent impact on emotions of the people involved

46:50 Depth and scalability of NGOs – Potential for large scale impact in India

49:00 Jholaawaala NGO types get a salary! Breaking the social stigmas and busting myths about NGOs

52:48 The thing with professional growth within an NGO

57:01 Why should young people join Udhyam or an NGO career? The thing with a real reward

58:53 Does Krishnan know the best dry-cleaner in Bengaluru? How does Udhyam scale a project?

1:01:15 The one last thing to talk about

1:03:00 Outro

Beyond the Istri project, this conversation also explores how impactful NGOs operate within existing ecosystems, working alongside communities, governments, private institutions, and other stakeholders rather than replacing them. It examines the balance between empathy and efficiency, intention and execution, funding and accountability.

Krishnan has also busted some common myths about working with NGOs, the challenges, the rewards, the thought process behind taking up causes, the phenomenal potential of India, and above all how careers get shaped when people get involved with this work at an early age.

The creators of this podcast hope that this conversation encourages a shift from passive consumption of information to informed participation. A sincere hope is that listeners are inspired to rethink the way they engage with organisations that are creating real impact.

Follow Udhyam

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/udhyam-learning-foundation/

X: https://x.com/UdhyamOrg

X: https://x.com/UdhyamVyapaar

Credits

Guest: Krishnan Ranganathan

Host: Ram Deshpande

Photographed, Edited, and Directed by: Kedar Gavane

Location: Udhyam Learning Foundation