The Criterion Institute worked with Capital 4 Development (C4D) Partners to examine their approach to investment processes for their portfolio in India. C4D’s investment thesis integrates an intersectional gender lens that responds to the local context, addressing regionalism, caste and ableism, along with gender, that is unique to India. C4D seeks investment opportunities where the investment will strengthen the impact embedded within the business model. Their investment processes further reflect this at each stage, from sourcing opportunities in underinvested regions to a transparent investment process to a tailored technical assistance program to working with the companies for exits with impact-oriented investors. C4D’s gender lens has been actively supported by their Limited Partners, such that C4D team’s carry is directly linked to gender outcomes. C4D further supports the portfolio companies on their goals through a gender self-assessment toolkit for their pipeline and an assessment of the business processes of their portfolio companies with a gender lens. This virtuous values transfer is reflective of the high level of trust between C4D and its portfolio companies, supporting them through both business challenges and opportunities with a high level of engagement. C4D’s success is inherently linked to their understanding and response to intersectional power dynamics in the local context, and this truly distinguishes their model and approach to investment.
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