ARITRA — GROWING LEADERS
A Leadership Accelerator for the Social Sector

About Aritra

Aritra is a 6-month leadership accelerator for mid to senior leaders in social impact organizations — designed to accelerate their movement into senior leadership roles while they continue working full-time. Aritra equips Fellows with the organizational building skills, strategic perspectives, and peer network they need to drive impactful work, build strong organizations, and lead with purpose.

 

Context

Aritra was conceived in 2018 in partnership with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and seed funded by Dr. Reddy's Foundation — as a response to a gap Phicus had consistently observed across its CSO clients: a shortage of capable second-line leaders ready to step into senior roles. Most existing leadership programs were either too expensive, too short, or not designed for the specific realities of the social sector. Aritra was built to fill that gap.

 

The Collaboration

Aritra operates in a hybrid format — combining online and in-person learning across a 10-month period — and uses multiple methodologies including coaching, peer learning, guest lectures, panel discussions, IIMB faculty-led sessions, and Phicus-facilitated skill-building workshops.

 

The program spans three critical spheres of leadership — Cause, Organizational, and Personal — covering topics including models to scale, the changing sectoral landscape, macro-economics fundamentals, collaboration and collective impact, financial sustainability, organizational culture, people management, future-ready leadership competencies, and personal wellness.

 

Each cohort receives 360-degree feedback, one-on-one coaching, and a structured individual development plan. The result is a cohort of leaders who emerge with clearer direction, stronger skills, and a lasting peer network across the sector.

 

Aritra Impact

90+ leaders across 4 batches

Multiple states · Urban and rural organizations

Ongoing alumni network across the social sector

 

Going Forward

After four batches and 90+ leaders, Phicus conducted a rigorous impact assessment of the Aritra program. The results were compelling — participants showed measurable growth in leadership capability, strategic clarity, and organizational effectiveness, with managers and peers validating the changes they observed. The assessment also surfaced important design insights: what works, what the sector's mid-senior leaders most need, and how a program of this nature can be made more accessible and scalable.

Those insights directly informed the design of Excelerate — the 6-month leadership development program for emerging senior leaders that is now part of the Roots platform. Excelerate carries Aritra's core DNA — coaching, peer learning, a mentored capstone project, and rigorous feedback — into a format that can reach leaders across hundreds of organizations simultaneously, at a fraction of the cost. Aritra didn't just develop leaders. It built the blueprint for what came next.