The Bridge India Magazine's Special SDG Edition, Volume 8 Issue 1, January-March 2026. A 45-page magazine for CSR professionals, policymakers, NGOs, and social sector leaders tracking India's progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. This edition marks seven years of the publication and focuses on partnerships, scalable practices, and cross-sector collaborations to accelerate SDG…
The Bridge India Magazine's Special SDG Edition, Volume 8 Issue 1, January-March 2026, is a 45-page publication for CSR professionals, policymakers, NGOs, and social sector leaders. It marks seven years of the magazine and focuses on India's progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals with just four years remaining to the 2030 deadline. The edition documents partnerships, scalable practices, and cross-sector collaborations that can accelerate impact.
The opening editorial by Editor-in-Chief Seema Jairath sets the context: India's SDG score has risen to 71 according to NITI Aayog, a 14-point increase since 2018. Progress in poverty reduction, village electrification, renewable energy, and infrastructure is noted alongside persistent challenges in malnutrition, gender inequality, and inter-state disparities. The edition is positioned as a working resource for students, CSR teams, philanthropies, and policymakers.
The cover story, 'India's SDG Sprint: From 71 to 100,' details major government schemes and their outcomes. PM Jan Dhan Yojana opened 500 million bank accounts. Ayushman Bharat covers 500 million citizens. Renewable energy capacity reached 200 GW solar. Jal Jeevan Mission delivered piped water to 99.6% of rural households. Swachh Bharat constructed 120 million toilets. Startup India spawned 1.2 lakh ventures including over 100 SDG-aligned unicorns.
The magazine includes a definitive SDG scorecard table with goal-wise performance data from 2018 to 2023-24. Scores range from 49 for Gender Equality to 96 for Clean Water and Sanitation. Remaining gaps are identified: child stunting at 35% nationally, climate impacts costing 2.5% of GDP annually, and interstate variations from Kerala at 85 to Bihar at 57. The Aspirational Districts Programme and CSR 2.0 are presented as strategic pathways.
Articles cover tribal wisdom and global goals, evidence-informed policymaking, integrative medicine, education in India's climate crisis, technology for inclusive education, employability and SDG 8, gender equality revolutions, hunger and school meal programs, child protection, healthcare as equity, water and urban resilience, and inclusion. A Heroes of Humanity section profiles individual leaders. The CSR Sector Digest India 2025-2026 is included.
The edition highlights grassroots-corporate synergies: Odisha's SHGs regenerating land through millet cultivation, Rajasthan's solar saathis installing rooftop systems, Jharkhand's water body revival in tribal villages, and Infosys Foundation's water purification plants serving 5 million people daily. The magazine reaches over 50,000 readers worldwide and invites partners to scale proven models and support grassroots innovations.