Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Summit 2025: From Awareness to Action

On 17 July 2025, the India Habitat Centre hosted over 200 leaders from policy, research, and practice for the inaugural Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Summit, convened by CSBC. The gathering spotlighted how behavioural science and strategic communication can accelerate progress in public health, climate action, water and sanitation, and inclusive development.

The day’s conversations underscored that effective BCC is not only about messaging but also about building trust, shifting norms, and designing interventions that endure.

Key Ideas Discussed

The summit began with an insightful address by Dr. Pavan Mamidi, Director of CSBC, who unpacked four iconic ideas in behavioural science. This was followed by four dynamic panel discussions, two spotlight sessions, and a closing keynote.

  • Public Health & Nutrition: The first panel discussed how effective health communication demands trusted messengers, local influencers, and culturally relevant, gamified tools; tackling gender norms with humour, storytelling, and AI-driven platforms. The panel comprised Dr. Sanjiv Kumar (UP-TSU), Poonam Muttreja (Population Foundation of India), Aastha Bhakhri (CSBC), and Shreya Ralli (American India Foundation).

(Photo caption - Poonam Muttreja (Population Foundation of India) noted that shifting deep-rooted gender norms remains one of the hardest challenges, but humour and storytelling can make public health engagement more inclusive)

  • Climate Consciousness: The second panel discussed how trust, social norms, and local agency shape effective climate action. Speakers included Pooja Haldea (CSBC), Sailee Rane (Rainmatter Foundation), Harpreet Bhullar (Purpose Climate Lab), and Prof. Amita Baviskar (Ashoka University). The discussion emphasised the need for communication strategies that resonate with lived realities, foster collective ownership, and address both rural and urban contexts for lasting change.
  • Sustainable Water Habits: This was the theme of the third panel, which discussed how water must be made visible again: emotionally, culturally, and behaviourally. The discussion featured Shri Anand Shekhar (NITI Aayog), Soma Katiyar (BBC), VK Madhavan (WaterAid India), Shagata Mukherjee (CSBC), and Nirat Bhatnagar (Dalberg). The panel explored trust-building tools, systems thinking, and value-driven messaging to create lasting transformation in water habits.

(Caption - “Water must become everyone’s business—from planning to implementation,” stressed Anand Shekhar, underscoring decentralisation and community ownership as key to change.)

  • BCC in the Digital Age: The last panel examined how to make behaviour change stick in a hyper-digital world shaped by repetition, visuals, and virality. Featuring Pooja Sehgal (Gates Foundation), Dia Mirza (UNEP Goodwill Ambassador), Charu Pragya (BJP), and Dr. Sharon Barnhardt (CSBC), the discussion highlighted the need to adapt core messaging principles to evolving platforms and attention spans.

“Repetition and consistent visual cues can shift mindsets from inconvenience to worthwhile change,” said Dia Mirza. Building on this, Charu Pragya shared that the on-ground Selfie With Daughter campaign helped shift deep-rooted norms in her hometown, proving that authenticity in role models drives lasting impact.

  • Spotlight - Autonomy and Algorithms: In this session, Dr. Pavan Mamidi (CSBC) and Nirat Bhatnagar (Dalberg), explored the ethical tensions between individual autonomy and imposed values in AI-driven systems. They discussed how bias exists at every stage, from data to models to outcomes, and the need for governance mechanisms that ensure fairness and equity. The conversation left participants with a pressing question: how can we build AI systems that keep pace with technology while safeguarding accountability and public trust?
  • Leadership Dialogue: The final session brought together leaders from philanthropy, development, and education to explore how behavioural science can influence giving, finance, and learning.

(Photo caption - Ashish Dhawan urged embedding giving into the fabric of society, likening philanthropy to “raising an additional child.”)

  • Closing Keynote by Dr. Cass Sunstein: Concluding the summit, Dr. Cass Sunstein shared insights from his book Kindness and Respect, outlining the ethics of behavioural science through tools, public response, and the balance between liberty and well-being. He emphasised that the best interventions respect autonomy, avoid manipulation, and serve the public good: “People dislike being tricked. They value transparency, freedom, and fairness.”

Across panels, spotlights, and the keynote, one message resonated: behaviour change succeeds when it is co-created with communities, grounded in evidence, and delivered with empathy.

As the day closed, participants left not only with new insights, but with a shared commitment to making behavioural science a force for inclusive, sustainable change: one that builds a future shaped with people, not just for them.