A Global Lens on India’s Most Transformative Education Movement

India has long been a focal point for global academic research — a nation where complexity, diversity, and aspiration intersect to create an unparalleled laboratory for innovation. While the country has witnessed a surge of ed-tech solutions, scaling up high-impact ventures in a durable and sustainable manner remains a missing link. When Sampark Foundation was established, our founders set out with a bold and unconventional vision: to design frugal, high-impact innovations capable of reaching 2 crore children across Indian government schools. This captured the attention of global academic institutions, most notably Harvard Business School where the foundation is studied as a model of large-scale, systems-driven change.

Intrigued by Sampark’s approach to transforming learning at less than $1 per child, a dedicated Harvard research team travelled to India, spending months in the field to study the model closely. They spoke to teachers, students, Sparks, State Officials, and Sampark leadership, gathering insights into how frugal innovation, pedagogy, culture, and public- system partnerships come together to create measurable and lasting change. During their multi-state visit, the Harvard team observed joyful classrooms brought alive by Sampark Didi, witnessed the power of a “Teachers First” philosophy, and studied how Sahi Kram, Sahi Dhang pedagogy and storytelling make learning joyful and engaging. They also explored the organisational culture that enables Sampark to design, test, and scale innovations rapidly — a culture grounded in trust, empowerment, and disciplined experimentation. Their extensive research culminated in a series of Harvard Business School case studies, including the widely taught “Frugal Innovation at Scale” cases of 2017, 2020, and 2023. These explore Sampark’s leadership dilemmas, state partnerships, scale strategy, and the ongoing debate between “Teachers First” and “Digital First.” The insights generated have contributed meaningfully to global conversations on how large public systems can be transformed through simplicity, empathy, and frugal design.

Sampark Foundation is honoured to be part of Harvard’s global research on innovation and leadership. This collaboration reaffirms what we have always believed: when frugality meets imagination, and when teachers are empowered to lead change, transformation breaks boundaries. The partnership continues to inspire new questions, deeper insights, and possibilities for scaling equitable education — not only in India, but across the world.