3 Hours to Go: Are We Measuring What Matters in India’s Development Sector?

What we found, what it means, and what we need to rethink — together.

Dear Readers,

MEAL has never been more resourced, more talked about, or more required in India’s development sector. And yet, for many organisations, it still feels like something we do for compliance rather than for learning.

So what is actually shaping MEAL practice in India today?
And is it leading to better decisions and stronger impact?

These are the questions we’ve been exploring over the past few months — through a review of 45+ impact reports, responses from 1,300+ practitioners, and conversations with CSR teams, NGOs, funders, and intermediaries across the country

The findings are telling.
And we want to discuss them with you.

Not as a presentation.
But as an honest, collective reflection on where we are — and what it would take to build MEAL systems that truly serve communities, inform decisions, and strengthen impact.

In today’s conversation, we’ll share key insights from the Status of MEAL in India 2025 report, open space for your questions and experiences, and explore what needs to shift — in funding structures, capacity building, organisational culture, and sector-wide practice — if MEAL is to be more than a checkbox exercise.

This Conversation Is for You If:

→ You’re a CSR leader tired of checkbox MEAL and want systems that inform strategy
→ You run an NGO and are struggling to make MEAL practical with limited resources
→ You’re a MEAL professional navigating capacity constraints and competing priorities
→ You’re a funder asking how to support better evidence without adding burden
→ You’re part of the ecosystem — intermediary, researcher, or consultant — trying to understand how MEAL is really practiced in India .

We’ve kept this session deliberately conversational.
Just space to think together about what the sector actually needs.

See you at 4 PM today.

Warmly,
4th Wheel Social Impact Team