IndiaSpend is India's first online data journalism initiative that analyzes open data sources to produce objective, data-driven stories about important public issues and hold the government accountable. It aims to provide a more informed public debate by disseminating these stories and fact checks on its website and through partnerships with media organizations. IndiaSpend was founded in 2011 as a non-profit project to address the lack of substantive media reporting backed by thorough research. It uses primary data to analyze issues at the state and national level and has expanded its operations, producing in-depth reports, fact checks of politician statements, and a database for researchers and students.

1. MODEL - NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
IndiaSpend is India’s first online data journalism initiative, analyzing open data sources to bring out stories providing
objective, data-driven information to the public. Its transparent and rigorous approach to reporting fosters better
accountability and aims to create a more informed electorate. A project of The Spending and Policy Research
Foundation, with pan-India coverage of issues, IndiaSpend hopes to improve the quality of public debate in India.
THE PROBLEM
The mainstream media often does not provide
substantive reporting that is backed by thoroughly
researched data on important development issues.
The result is an under-informed electorate, which is
therefore unable to challenge government on policy
making and service delivery.
INDIASPEND’s RESPONSE
IndiaSpend uses primary data sources to analyze a range
of issuesof publicinterestatthestateandcentrallevel.Its
findings are disseminated into the public domain
through its website and relationships with leading media
organizations. By providing credible information freely, it
enables the public to hold government accountable.
IndiaSpend
Founded: 2011 | Head Office: Mumbai | Coverage: Pan-India | Full-Time Staff: 6
Budget (2013-14): Organization – 1.4 INR crore; Governance – 1.4 INR crore
HOW DID IT EVOLVE?
IndiaSpend (The Spending and Policy Research Foundation)
WHAT DOES IT DO?
www.indiaspend.com
Founded by Govindraj Ethiraj, in
the wake of the anti-corruption
movement started by activist
Anna Hazare
Launched FactChecker, India’s first
dedicated fact checking initiative, to
scrutinize statements made by public
officials such as ministers; published its
first report on atrocities against members
of India’s lower and Scheduled
Caste communities
In partnership with the Google India
Election Platform, it launched Mera Neta,
India’s largest electoral candidate
outreach exercise, capturing on film the
election promises of over 1,000 key
candidates contesting the 2014 Lok
Sabha elections
2011 2012 2014
IndiaSpend analyzes and uses hard data obtained from government
archives to report to the public through the following:
IndiaSpend’s work and analysis is disseminated through its website
and weekly feeds to prominent publications, journalists, politicians,
and news platforms, such as Dow Jones and Yahoo News, and is
quoted in leading publications like Mint and Indian Express.
Fact Checker website:
This online platform scrutinizes public statements made by
individuals such as ministers and electoral candidates for veracity
and context. It also examines issues in the public domain for which
there is a strong need to verify data. These Fact Checks are
disseminated online through a dedicated website. The objective is
to encourage individuals in public office, or those informing the
public, to make responsible statements and bring in a degree of
personal accountability.
Research reports: In-depth monthly reports on state - and central -
level issues across women, health, education and infrastructure to
foster data-led discussions among influential public figures.
Data room: A first of its kind resource for students, journalists and
researchers that allows comparison of dynamic and static data at the
state level, on a range of development issues.
KEY INTERVENTIONS
1. Building awareness and mobilizing citizens
2. Training citizens for public engagement
3. Creating knowledge and evidence
4. Advocacy for policy design and
implementation
5. Technology platforms and solutions
6. Facilitating independent and inclusive
journalism
7. Capacity building of government officials
8. Capacity building of local partners
9. Facilitating platforms for multi-stakeholder
engagement

2. WHAT’S NEXT?
“We use data to tell stories that empower citizens so they can ask the hard questions on governance and thus demand
accountability. We believe that data, if effectively used, can transform lives. Our target is to reach 5,000 influencers across
the country, including in media. We believe we are already half-way there.”
- Govindraj Ethiraj, founder
citizenvoice policy law servicedelivery thinktank transparency RTI
elections budgets urbangovernance panchayatiraj accesstojustice
technology humanrights independentmedia
The high relevance of Indiaspend becomes
especially apparent during election times.
In the last few months, Ethiraj’s non-profit
initiative has provided many of the nearly
815 million Indians who are entitled to
vote with an opportunity to obtain
concrete information about the many
candidates running for parliament with
interviews and articles.
-Stefan Quandt,
Board Member, BMW Foundation
First organization to highlight which Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament (MP) were not attending sessions – this story
was covered widely by other social media and television channels.
Platform collaboration with Dow Jones and Yahoo News, which feature all of IndiaSpend’s stories.
Its stories are published by numerous media outlets such as Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Mumbai Mirror, First Post,
Youth Ki Awaaz, Sify and Free Press Journal.
24,000 page views every month, 43,000 followers on Google Plus, 3,800 followers on Facebook.
Sending data analyses to government officials targeted by state/district as well as issues of interest; hosting
roundtables/briefings to promote policy dialogue among them.
Creating an open-source district database, the first of its kind, to collate key economic and social indicators for all of
India's 675 districts. This will allow powerful search and comparison exercises between districts.
Collaborations with the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Action Aid and Symbiosis Institute to convert
their existing research expertise in various fields into in-depth stories for publication on IndiaSpend.
IndiaSpend’s goal is to reach 5,000 influential individuals across India ranging from opinion leaders in the media to MPs
and other public officials.
WHAT HAS IT ACHIEVED?
VOICES FROM THE GROUND
Indian financial journalist, formerly Founder and Editor-In-
Chief at Bloomberg UTV, previously at Economic Times,
Business World, CNBC TV.
Winner, BMW Responsible Leadership Awards 2014.
Fellow, Aspen Institute.
Former Managing Editor at Hindustan Times and
columnist with Hindustan Times and Mint, former Fellow
at Harvard University and UC Berkeley.
Key funders: Rohini Nilekani, Vikram Lal, Nemish Shah,
Pirojsha Godrej Foundation.
Key program partners: Dow Jones, Yahoo News, Google.
IndiaSpend is a member of the Global Investigative
Journalism Network, the only media organization
currently participating from India.
Leadership
Govindraj Ethiraj, Founder
Partnerships
QUALITY INDICATORS
IndiaSpend (The Spending and Policy Research Foundation)
Samar Halarnkar, Editor
12 A 80 G FCRA