Food, fuel, and fertilizer (FFF) subsidies in India account for 6–7% of the total budget and nearly half of social sector spending. MSC has shaped, optimized, and evaluated these major subsidy programs through close partnerships with key ministries and agencies. MSC’s expertise spans the full policy cycle, from initial design and pilot testing to large-scale implementation, ongoing assessment, and evidence-based refinement. 

Fertilizers 

MSC was instrumental in assisting the NITI Aayog and the Department of Fertilizers in designing and rolling out India’s Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, which began with pilots in Andhra Pradesh and expanded nationwide. MSC provided end-to-end support, which included policy design, rapid evaluations, and implementation guidance. Their evidence-based recommendations led to further reforms such as piloting direct cash transfers (DCT) to farmers, advocating for a comprehensive farmer database, and promoting soil health initiatives for more efficient fertilizer use. 

Food 

Since 2014, MSC has been a key advisor to the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), driving the digital transformation of the Public Distribution System (PDS). The work included technical assistance to the end-to-end computerization—digitizing beneficiary databases, supply chains, and automating fair price shops. Further, MSC formulated a technical support unit (TSU) at DFPD in 2020 to continue providing technical support to the department’s initiatives. MSC supported pilots for transitioning from in-kind food distribution to cash transfers and played a crucial role in the design and implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) initiative, which enabled benefit portability for migrant workers. 

MSC spearheaded the rice fortification program, supporting the DFPD from initial pilots in 2020 to full-scale implementation. The insights strengthened the supply chain and developed digital solutions to enhance transparency and efficiency in rice fortification and quality control. MSC has also supported the DFPD in advancing nutrition security by contributing to the revision of Schedule II of the National Food Security Act (NFSA). This revision aimed to more precisely define the macro- and micronutrient requirements for food provided under the three key food security programs, tailored to the needs of specific beneficiary groups such as pregnant and lactating women, children under five, school-going children, and adolescent girls. MSC also played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and piloting the Jan Poshan Kendra to transform 60 fair price shops into nutrition hubs across four states. 

The Gates Foundation commissioned the project. 

MSC has worked in close partnership with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (MoWECP), Government of Indonesia, to advance gender-responsive policy thinking and action. Since 2022, MSC has supported the Ministry’s engagement with the G20 process to help shape impactful recommendations that promote women’s participation in the digital economy, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. 

MSC partnered with Airtel Payments Bank (APB) to help diversify its offerings at agent points beyond traditional cash-in and cash-out (CICO) transactions. Through this partnership, we sought to scale the uptake of Suraksha, a bundled product that combines a digital savings account with an embedded insurance cover. We worked to strengthen APB’s last-mile communication and marketing ecosystem to boost agent confidence, build customer trust, and drive product adoption.

A risk of limited product understanding and mis-selling persists among rural and peri-urban agents with whom APB works. MSC sought to overcome these risks and designed a behaviorally informed communication toolbox for APB. This included culturally nuanced posters, banners, and localized pitch templates. We also developed WhatsApp-ready creatives, audio-visual content, and easy-to-explain scripts to support agents to engage customers proactively and address common concerns around savings and insurance. Our team used insights from rapid market studies to advise APB on customer persona-based targeting and nudging strategies across the marketing funnel, from awareness to activation.

These interventions translated into a 31-fold increase in agents who actively sold Suraksha, from 4,023 in May 2023 to more than 124,000 by March 2025. At the same time, customer engagement with Suraksha increased 138 times, from fewer than 15,000 to more than 2 million subscribers. As a result, Suraksha emerged as APB’s flagship product. It earned a position in the market as a “safe second savings account” and enhanced both agent viability and enterprise profitability.

The Gates Foundation commissioned this project.

 

As part of its strategic engagement with the Government of Indonesia, MSC supported BAPPENAS in developing a policy roadmap to accelerate the country’s blue food economy. The study examined the intersection of nutrition, environmental sustainability, small-scale fisheries, value addition, post-harvest loss reduction, and social equity to define a coherent, actionable framework for system transformation. 

An integrated approach to blue food systems transformation 

MSC’s analysis highlighted how these pillars support Indonesia’s broader development priorities—linking nutrition security with climate-smart livelihoods, and sustainable fisheries with inclusive value chains. The roadmap provided actionable recommendations across regulatory reform, investment priorities, and institutional coordination to operationalize Indonesia’s vision for a resilient and just blue food economy. 

Strategic support to BAPPENAS 

Through this collaboration, MSC contributed technical expertise, global best practices, and locally grounded diagnostics to help BAPPENAS define its long-term agenda for aquatic food system transformation. The roadmap laid a foundational evidence base for future inter-ministerial coordination and donor alignment and supports Indonesia’s global leadership in promoting nature-positive and nutrition-sensitive food systems. MSC continues working closely with national stakeholders to translate the blue food agenda into on-ground action, integrating it with school meals, public procurement, and coastal development programs that prioritize people and the planet.  

Opportunity International Australia (OIA) recognized the need to realign its approach. This was done in response to the rapidly evolving microfinance and financial inclusion landscape, shifting client behaviors, digital adoption trends, and changes in the regulatory and socioeconomic environment. MSC supported OIA in its efforts to redefine its strategic direction in India and Indonesia and developed an efficient and forward-looking transformation roadmap.  

We helped identify strategic priorities for the organization to remain relevant and impactful in a shifting development context. We accounted for increased digital adoption, a deeper policy focus on financial inclusion, and growth in demand for resilience-focused financial solutions. Our team conducted secondary research, analyzed program data, reviewed partner documentation, and used its deep market intelligence across Asia to generate insights on client aspirations, funding trends, and sector evolution.   

The strategic roadmap developed by MSC articulated a set of high-potential focus areas for OIA, which included digital transformation of partner MFIs, strengthened gender-inclusive models, and expanded support for underserved communities through innovative financial solutions. The roadmap also offered guidance on market positioning, funding strategies, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, and inclusive economic growth.    

A key outcome of this engagement was a strategic blueprint that guided OIA to make informed decisions about its future direction in India and Indonesia. The engagement provided clarity on where and how OIA could drive the greatest value through a sharper focus on inclusion, adaptability to market shifts, and alignment with long-term development goals. It highlighted strategic levers for influence, investment, and innovation, rooted in a strong understanding of client aspirations, institutional readiness, and ecosystem opportunities.  

HNB Grameen (HNBG) is a subsidiary of Hatton National Bank (HNB), a leading commercial bank in Sri Lanka. The company wanted to broaden its client segments and upgrade the use of technology. HNBG made a recent foray into the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) market and introduced technology, such as point of sale (PoS) devices and ATMs. These developments implied that HNBG needed a fresh perspective toward business along with a new strategy.   

MSC led a series of virtual interviews and subsequently, an onsite rapid institutional assessment. We conducted a market assessment to understand the market segments, competition, and products offered in Sri Lanka. Our sectorial analysis helped to examine the external environment on political, macroeconomic, socioeconomic, and technological aspects that may affect the strategy. The MSC team also conducted initial workshops with mid- and senior-level management to help them develop a structured approach to arrive at an institutional and department-level strategy.  

We developed a strategic business plan to create a long-term roadmap. The plan predicted the future evolution of the Sri Lankan financial landscape. It laid out a clear roadmap that HNBG needs to follow to become and remain a market leader in financial services in Sri Lanka.   

HNB Grameen Finance Limited commissioned the project.