On December 19, 2024, the Product Development Domain (PDD) of Development Alternatives organised a successful training session and meetup in Patna, under the theme Hyperlocal Mapping of Air Pollutants and GHG Emissions. The event, held at Chanakya, witnessed the enthusiastic participation of 18 citizen scientists working on the project, along with two technicians.

#Pollution

On December 16, 2024, at the Konvensyen Inovasi Sosial (KIS) 2024, held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Development Alternatives' CEO Shrashtant Patara and Associate Vice President Kanika Verma led an engaging session titled "Design Thinking: Creating the Future of Innovation." The session explored the synergy between Design Thinking and Systems Thinking in facilitating inclusive entrepreneurship for sustainable social and economic development.

#KIS2024

“Conversation on Water” program by the Society for Development Alternatives, empowers students with knowledge, skills, and citizen science tools to address water-related challenges. Through interactive sessions, demonstrations, and pledges, the program fosters young Water Champions ready to tackle water scarcity, pollution, and sustainability, shaping future leaders for environmental action.

#Water

Showcasing community-led watershed management and climate communication.

#TaraGramClimateYatra

The TARAgram Yatra 2024, held in Bundelkhand, brought together diverse organisations to explore resource efficiency and sustainable development in rural areas. Participants engaged in discussions and field visits, including to Madore Village, where DA’s initiatives in eco-building and water accessibility showcased the transformative impact of resource-efficient practices. The Yatra emphasised the need for holistic community engagement to drive sustainable change in rural landscapes.

#TGY

TARAgram Livelihood Yatra 2024, organised by Development Alternatives, offered an immersive experience into empowering rural livelihoods through social innovation in Bundelkhand. With tools like Kaun Banega Business Leader, participatory Comic Workshops, and the District Entrepreneurship Coalition, the Yatra showcased co-creation and collaboration in building sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. Highlighting micro-movements of change, it emphasised knowledge sharing and inclusive growth, inspiring participants to drive meaningful community impact.

#TGY2024

TARAgram Yatra 2024 showcased community-led innovations in Circular Economy, Rural Livelihoods, and Climate Resilience across Bundelkhand. The event highlighted sustainable practices, ecosystem restoration, and entrepreneurship, fostering collaboration between grassroots, policymakers, and corporates to scale impactful solutions nationwide.

#TGY

TARAgram Mela at TARAgram Yatra 2024 celebrated ‘Local Green Enterprises’ as pathways to sustainable change through inclusive, community-driven, and regenerative business models. Inaugurated by Shri Lokesh Jangid, Hon’ble Collector and District Magistrate of Niwari, the event showcased the rich heritage of Bundelkhand and other regions of India through exhibitions of handicrafts and agricultural products.

#TARAgramMela

GRIHA Council hosted the 16th GRIHA Summit on Accelerating Climate Action in Built Environment. DA was represented by Mr. Mohak Gupta, Assistant Programme Director, Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy in the panel of “Traversing through Social Strata & Community-based Adaptation”

#GRIHA

Alt Urban is a flagship initiative of DA to drive transformation in ‘resilient cities’ for an inclusive and regenerative future.

IMEDF, a Section 8 company of the Development Alternatives Group, under its Capacity Building vertical conducted three days "Rural Collective Enterprises Immersion Programme" in Bajju Bikaner from 2nd to 4th December 2024. The programme aimed to disseminate knowledge and insights on inclusive and regenerative entrepreneurship, with a focus on collective enterprises.

#CapacityBuilding

Road safety workshop for truck drivers, enhancing skills, well-being, and safety.

#truckdriver

Empowering women for livestock care through Pashu Sakhi Training.

#PashuSakhi

The IMEDF Labpur Banana Fibre cluster located in Birbhum district of West Bengal has been selected among 07 FPOs for Grant for Agroecology Program (GAP) Challenge Fund by ACCESS.

#InclusiveEntrepreneurship

Development Alternatives implemented STREE programme has been awarded "Doing Good through Business" for Women and Inclusion category at the prestigious "Doing Good for Bharat Awards 2024", hosted by CSRBOX during the 11th edition of India CSR & ESG Summit.

#InclusiveEntrepreneurship

On 20th and 21st November 2024, our CEO Shrashtant Patara was invited to speak at two important panels at GOYN Global Convening 2024 and Dialogues on Development Management (DoDM 2024). At GOYN's panel discussion on "When Jobs Do Not Exist - Building Demand for Labour" he shared insights from DA's work focused on job creation by co-creating local entrepreneurship ecosystems and at DoDM 2024, hosted by the Indian School of Development Management, he shed light on "Resilience through Collaboration" during the panel discussion on "Cultivating a Resilient Growth Culture."

#GOYN #GlobalConvening2024 #DoDM2024

A student research group from Roskilde University in Denmark had a constructive interaction with Indian Micro Enterprises Development Foundation (IMEDF), a special purpose vehicle of the Development Alternatives (DA) group regarding conducting research on the relationship between microcredits and the socioeconomic status of women in India. The students are currently doing similar work in Tanzania, with a particular focus on women empowerment and the discourse surrounding it.

#CapacityBuilding

Development Alternatives (DA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-India), hosted a two-day online workshop in November 2024 titled Virtual Refresher Training for Citizen Scientists: Strengthening Air Quality Monitoring as part of the UNDP-Lacuna Hyperlocal Air Pollution and GHG Emissions Mapping Project.

#AirPollution

Educating students about sustainable pond care and environmental stewardship.

#PondRejuvenation

Coalition meeting fosters women's entrepreneurship, supporting economic empowerment initiatives.

#decrobertsganj