India has a growing impact investing industry, but can it scale?

NEW DELHI — The growth in India’s mobile phone market has helped an unexpected sector — impact investing.

Mobile phone penetration and data access in India has increased dramatically over the past 18 months, in part due to dropping data costs. The growth is making it possible for new groups of people to access information, jobs, education, transportation, financial services, and health care — creating both business and investment opportunities, according to Roopa Kudva, managing director of Omidyar Network India Advisors.