This 2025 report, Synthesis of Evidence on Early Childhood Development in India: Key Challenges and Pathways Forward, presents a comprehensive overview of India’s evolving childcare economy. It brings together insights from national programmes, legal frameworks, financing data, service delivery models, and global best practices to map the landscape of early childhood development (ECD) services for children aged 0–6, particularly in lower-income households. The report also translates key recommendations from existing literature into actionable pathways to strengthen access to quality, affordable, and inclusive childcare across the country.

This report is part of UNDP India’s broader policy advocacy and evidence generation effort under the project Boosting Female Labour Force Participation through a Strengthened Urban Care Ecosystem, implemented in partnership with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, and supported by the Gates Foundation.