Political Economy of Development Finance: People, Climate and Economy
29th Oct to 1st Nov, 2026
Development sounds like a “neutral” term, but in effect it’s one of the most contested ideas in modern history and so is the idea of development finance. When in history did “developed” and underdeveloped” become the buzzwords? What’s the politics of these words, and what’s the economics? Who finances what development, and towards what end, has shaped the lives of millions across the world, particularly the global South where the fate and trajectory of development has been the preoccupation of big finance. From World Bank to national Development Financial Institutions or DFIs; from commercial banks to pension funds; from bilateral investments to multinational development banks – there are different players in this field and each have their own political economy. Each has implications on people’s lives, livelihoods, climate and ecology. With the push for capital expenditure in the union budget, the question of priorities (social or capital infrastructure) also ought to be debated. Why are government school infrastructure being neglected, midday meal schemes underfunded and a myriad of other welfare schemes not implemented at the cost of mega highways, newer airports, freight corridors, etc.?
From the struggles of the adivasi people of the Narmada Valley to the fishworkers taking IFC to Supreme Court; from the people in the Himalayas standing up to indiscriminate hydel pressure on its rivers to the farmers at the receiving end of mega solar parks – the narratives of development and its financiers have often been challenged. They have often thrown up fundamental questions about who needs energy and how much; who benefits from port-led development and at whose cost; why the global north is interested in financing only one form of development and not another; are the financiers of development climate responsive; is financing in the name of climate crisis meaningful? Does our idea of development further marginalise those at the margins; is sustainability a serious concern in development discourse yet. These are all difficult questions, but ones that must be grappled with. After all, we cannot finance displacement, destruction and doom, in the name of development; we cannot allow the financialisation of every ounce of our lifeworld for profit. The workshop will attempt to unravel some of these questions and also grapple with ideas that can make finance more accountable. Towards this end, we will look into not only institutions and sectors, but also gain hands-on knowledge in reading investment data and understand the regulatory landscape.
Sign up if you are interested in the ways money and power shape the landscape of development and how the so-called dispensables, the people, resist and reshape. Join us if accountability for big finance and the financialisation of resources bothers you.
Program Outline
Day 1: Introduction to Infrastucture Financing
- Why does Finance Matter?
- World Bank, MDBs & The global Order of Finance
- The History & Politics of Financing Development: The changing landscape of Development Finance Institutions
- The union budget and the Capex push: Social infra vs Capital infra
- Documentary: World Bank@80
Day 2: Sectoral Insights
- Financing Renewables: HYDEL
- Financing Renewables: SOLAR
- Rationale | Impact (Livelihood, Environmental) | Regulatory Loopholes | Ethical Blindspots | Financial Footprints
Day 3: Sectoral Insights (Contd)
- Climate & Finance
- What kind of Development Financing is done without consideration for climate crisis (Port, Coastal Projects, Himalayan projects, etc)
- What Development Financing is happening in the name of climate crisis: Are they adequate, well-directed or greenwashing?
Reading Financial/Investment Data
- Project Financing (databases)
- Lack of Transparency/Accountability
- Finance Data Corner
Sharing of Project Topics for Group Presentation
Day 4: Emerging Fields for Finance: Data Centres
- Rationale | Impact | Regulatory Loopholes | Ethical Blindspots | Financial Footprints
- Presentations by the participants
- Closing circle and feedback
Participant Contribution
We hope that participants will contribute an amount of Rs. 5,000/- towards workshop expenses, inclusive of all on-site workshop costs: boarding, lodging, and all the materials used in the workshop. Travel of participants will have to be borne by the participants.
Do not let money be an impediment to your application. Need based fee waivers are available. We have a limited number of scholarships so please apply for a fee waiver if you really need it. Do remember that there may be others who need it more than you.
How to reach: Please visit Getting here
For any other info: WhatsApp or call : 889 422 7954 (between 10 am to 5 pm), or e-mail: [email protected]
To register for the workshop, please fill out this Google form.