Information Density: Development Alternatives – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H2] Solutions

Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy

Livelihood Security and Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Climate Resilience and Ecosystem Restoration

[H2] Our Impact (2023-2024)

[H4] Empowered Communities

[H4] 2.5  lakh

people made aware on health, nutrition, WASH, agriculture and other practices through Radio Bundelkhand

[H4] 77,600

livelihoods secured

[H4] Clean and Green Environment

[H4] 20,202

million tonnes (LC3, brick kiln, fly ash) CO2 mitigated

[H4] 630

million litres of water potential enhanced

[H4] Income Generation Opportunities

[H4] 11,700

job opportunities created

[H4] 5,030

enterprises established

[H4] INR 40 cr+

raised in 2023-24 competitive advantage of systemic prototypes

500

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[H2] 1982

Born

The Development Alternatives Group was the first social enterprise setup to create and deliver sustainable solutions for social and economic development.
Established in 1982, the Development Alternatives Group pioneered the concept of business-like approaches for eradicating poverty and conserving the natural resource base on which human development depends.

[H2] 1984

TARA Balram Mud Block Press launched

The TARA Balram Mudblock Press addresses the problem of families in India who cannot afford steel and cement for their houses. It compresses ordinary earth into solid building bricks that need no firing. Thus it saves the precious topsoil, needed for agriculture, and scarce forest resources, needed for human survival. TARA Balram can produce upto 600 blocks in one day if the mix is prepared manually. . Since the Balram is manual and highly labour intensive, the money generated through its use largely stays within the community.

[H2] 1986

Tara Chulha 101 launched

A clean, efficient and safe metal cook stove. TARA has introduced its range of fuel-efficient and smoke-reducing Chulhas for rural India.

[H2] 1987

First 100% Earth-based urban building - DA Headquarters

Earth is the oldest building material to be used by man. In the river side of the Mesopotamian, Nile, Chinese and the Indus Valley civilizations, settlers used readily available alluvial soil to make the first mud brick dwellings. Earth has always been the most widely used material for building in India and is a part of its culture. The design for the Development Alternatives headquarters arises out of an organisational desire to make a strong statement in earth architecture.

[H2] 1989

Tara loom enters market

TARA loom - the breakthrough innovation in the field of handloom technology.. It makes it possible for untrained men and women to produce high-quality handloom textiles that are commercially sustainable. Different types of yarns – cotton, wool, silk and synthetic - can be used in the machine.

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[H2] 1991

Became founding member of Climate Action Network South Asia, TARA handmade paper launched

DA believes in the power of multi-stakeholders partnerships and networks for creating large-scale impact on society for sustainable development. In 1991 DA, with about 250 civil society organisations, formed a coalition, Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA). CANSA works in 8 South Asian countries on climate action.

[H2] 1991

TARA handmade paper launched

The TARA handmade paper unit was launched in 1991 in the peri-urban area of Delhi. The key functions of paper manufacturing are performed by women. The women operators have been given on-the-job training. TARA has developed over 100 varieties of handmade paper using a wide choice of waste paper, rags, natural biomass mixtures, and agro-residues in these units.

[H2] 1994

Aqua check vial & jal-TARA water testing kit launched

The TARA Aqua Check vials are a reliable means to test the quality of drinking water. It can detect the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the water that causes common water-borne diseases like diarrhoea/dysentery/ gastroenteritis.
TARA Aqua Check vials are highly reliable and very simple to use. The salient feature of this kit is that it can test the water quality at the sourceand Point-of-Use.
Another landmark innovation to prevent waterborne diseases is the Jal-TARA water testing kit. It can be used by any person, even one without a scientific background. The kit can test 16 essential parameters to check if the water is fit for consumption.

[H2] 1995

TARAgram Livelihood Resource Center in Bundelkhand

TARAgram, is a unique concept; a livelihood resource centre demonstrating models of sustainable development, with facilities for training and conferencing. The TARAgram Livelihood Resource Centre is close to the beautiful and historic town of Orchha. It was set up in 1995 as a technology village by Development Alternatives.

[H2] 1996

CLEAN-India programme started on 2002

CLEAN-India (Community Led Environment Action Network) is an initiative of Development Alternatives that aims to harness youth power to bring about a positive change in urban society. It provides a platform for students and young professionals to prevent environmental degradation and develop cleaner towns and cities across India.Through this programme, 4000 students have been trained in environmental assessment and through improvement activities, more than 200 water quality monitoring stations established in India, and Water and Sanitation concerns were addressed in over 2200 schools.

[H2] 1996

DESI Power - India’s first biomass gasifier-based power plant set up

Decentralised Energy Systems India (DESI) power plant was set up at Orchha in 1996 in TARAgram. The technology of the gasification plant was developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In collaboration with Gram Panchayats and other agencies the DESI power, deliver and operate small power plants for rural communities using state-of-the-art integrated energy generation technologies.

[H2] 1997

100 check dams in Bundelkhand

Development Alternatives with the active participation of local communities re-established the age-old water conservation system and constructed 100 check dams in the region in the year 1997.

[H2] 1997

Jai-TARA filter invented

Development Alternatives initiated the research and developed the water purification system ‘Jal-TARA Filter’ in the year 1997 to provide safe drinking water, free from bacterial contamination, at community and household levels. Unlike other water purification systems available in the market that are based on chemical treatment, the Jal-TARA filter is based on natural filtration, the slow sand filtration technique.. It is a modular unit that doesn’t require electricity or chemicals for operation.

[H2] 1997

TARA MCR Tech. inaugurated

The flagship Micro Concrete Roofing (MCR) technology of Development Alternatives Group was inaugurated in 1997. The TARA MCR Technology package consists of a TARA screed vibrator (electrically operated), TARA self-stacking plastic moulds, accessories, alignment tools and bending test equipment. The TARA MCR equipment is tailor-made to produce multiple forms of roofing tiles such as Roman pattern tiles, Pan tiles and ridge tiles. One set of equipment has the capacity to produce 300 tiles per day.

[H2] 1998

VSBK-TARA Ecokiln launched

TARA Eco-Kiln - Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK), energy-efficient and environment-friendly technology for firing clay bricks, was launched in 1998. The technology reduces coal usage by 40-50 percent and allows small-scale entrepreneurs to earn carbon revenues by negotiating as a cluster.

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[H2] 2000

Pawan-TARA air-monitoring Kit in market

Pawan-TARA is an easy-to-operate, compact, portable, air quality monitoring kit developed by Development Alternatives. It is a ‘low volume air sampler’. The kit can be used to monitor outdoor and indoor air quality. Pawan-TARA has been designed to be safe and simple to use even by school students. The kit can run on both electricity and batteries.

[H2] 2001

PACS-largest civil society support programme implemented

Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) programme focused on the building capacities of civil society organizations to enable rural communities from the most vulnerable and economically backward regions of India to access their constitutionally mandated rights and entitlements. The uniqueness of the PACS model was that it was not a service delivery program but was focused on community empowerment through women empowerment, local self-governance, and livelihood creation.

[H2] 2002

Building Materials & Services Bank, Odisha set up

The Building Materials and Services Bank ( BMSB ), a unique concept that integrates rural livelihoods with the delivery of rural housing and other habitat-related deliverables for overall habitat security. The primary stakeholders of this initiative are the rural unemployed.

[H2] 2002

TARA soil testing kit launched

TARA soil testing kit was launched in 2002. It is used for assessing the levels of impurities in soil. It can be customised as per lab requirements.

[H2] 2002

The United Nations Sasakawa Environment Prize

The Building Materials and Services Bank ( BMSB ), a unique concept that integrates rural livelihoods with the delivery of rural housing and other habitat-related deliverables for overall habitat security. The primary stakeholders of this initiative are the rural unemployed.

[H2] 2005

Dr Ashok Khosla became co-president of the Club of Rome

In 2007 Dr Ashok Khosla became co-president of the Club of Rome, a platform of diverse thought leaders who identify holistic solutions to complex global issues and promote policy initiatives and action to enable humanity to emerge from multiple planetary emergencies.

[H2] 2005

Fly Ash Brick Tech package created

TARA Fly Ash Brick Technology was introduced in the year 2005. Fly Ash brick is made up of fly ash - very finely ground coal in thermal power plants, sand and cement. The advantages of this technology are - low energy consumption, cost-effective and zero emissions.

[H2] 2005

TARA-BrickMek Tech

The TARA BrickMek has been designed to do homogeneous mixing of soil, and water. It is a versatile machine designed to produce consistent superior quality clay bricks with frogs. It operates under the soft mud moulding technology and produces bricks under soft extrusion. This machine is easy to operate with one skilled machine operator assisted by local manpower (men and women).

[H2] 2005

TARA Karigar Mandal launched

TARA Karigar Mandal (TKM) is an initiative of Development Alternatives to undertake eco-construction work at scale through local masons. The overall objective of this initiative is to improve the livelihoods of building artisans and efficient delivery of ‘green habitat services’ in Bundelkhand. TARAKarigar Mandal is at the forefront of green job creation and also acts as an important tool for climate change mitigation.
The Mandal was formally launched at the International Habitat day on October 2, 2007.

[H2] 2006

SOE Atlas for india published

The State of Environment (SOE) Atlas of Indis has been developed jointly by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Development Alternatives in 2006. It is an innovative interactive atlas. The thematic focus of this atlas is on the maps of green, blue and brown environmental issues.

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[H2] 2007

New DA green headquarter

The Development Alternatives World Headquarters, located in New Delhi, was reconstructed in 2007, is one of the first buildings in India that aims at zero emissions. The building is best described as a living ecosystem - a fine balance of natural and manmade processes employing environment-friendly energy, material and water management methods. It is a living testimony to the vision, mission and commitment of Development Alternatives to creating a national future that is based on social justice and a cleaner environment.

[H2] 2008

Radio Bundelkhand established

Radio Bundelkhand 90.4 FM, the community radio is a flagship initiative of Development Alternatives, providing voice to the community in the Bundelkhand region in Central India.
Established on 23rd October 2008, Radio Bundelkhand is the first Community Radio Station in Madhya Pradesh and second in India. It’s participatory and collaborative approach empowers and builds consensus for change.
The radio station is situated in Development Alternatives Appropriate Technology Centre at TARAgram Orchha in Madhya Pradesh.

[H2] 2010

First TARAgram Yatra

The first TARAgram Yatra, an annual event organised by Development Alternatives and its partners to deliberate upon germane issues of sustainability, was organised in 2010. With a mix of dialogue and field visits, the Yatra provides a platform for exchanging cutting-edge ideas on how to realise a sustainable future.

[H2] 2010

Hamara Gaon - Integrated Village Development programme launched

Development Alternatives Integrated Village Development Programme – Hamara Gaon (an etymology that emphasises people’s right to decide their development pathway as informed and empowered communities).aunched in 2010, the programme targets issues related to the economy, environment and society systemically, as a whole, helping communities realise the benefit of integrated development.

[H2] 2011

Shubh Kal - climate communication action programme initiated

Shubh Kal is a campaign run by Development Alternatives to inform and educate the rural community of Bundelkhand regarding the risk of climate change and possible adaptation options. This communication model has helped to bridge the communication gap between communities, scientists and government officials.

[H2] 2012

200 check dams built in Bundelkhand

In response to the chronic drought situation in Bundelkhand, Development Alternatives pioneered the establishment of check-dams as a low cost and sustainable technology for realising water security outcomes. With the active participation of local communities, DA constructed 200 check-dams since 1982.

[H2] 2013

First trialogue 2047

trialogue 2047 is a series of discussions organised by Development Alternatives, to explore how India can achieve its vision of becoming a green, inclusive and resilient nation by 2047, i.e. after 100 years as an independent nation. trialogue 2047 brings together distinguished speakers to address issues like poverty alleviation, participatory policymaking, resource efficiency etc. The first trialogue 2047 was held in 2013.

[H2] 2014

Started community-based water servics delivery in Bundelkhand

In 2014 Development Alternatives launched Locally Owned and Community Operated (LOCO) Model to address the issues of drinking water supply in rural India. ‘Locally Owned and Community Operated (LOCO)’ is an enterprise-based model solely managed by a committee led by women.

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[H2] 2015

TARA Urja - mini-grids in UP and Bihar launched

Established in 2015, TARAurja is an operational business unit for the deployment and management of renewable energy-based mini-grids. It enables communities to adopt solar and biomass energy solutions in off-grid villages.

[H2] 2016

DA becomes i

Climate change has emerged as the biggest threat to the livelihoods and food security for countries across the world. India is particularly vulnerable to this and is likely to have varied impacts owing to its geographic diversity, stronger dependence on agriculture, and increasing exploitation of natural resources coupled with population growth and socio-economic challenges. For India to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions committed to the Paris Agreement, all guidelines and frameworks in this context must be complemented with initiatives that are sufficient, efficient, equitable, and inclusive. These further need to be integrated with nature-based solutions to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and livelihood vulnerability.

[H4] Pond Ecosystem Restoration

As a solution to mitigate the impacts of climate change and depletion in the levels of groundwater aquifers, Development Alternatives has, from the past 3 years, been focussing on reviving and rejuvenating the traditional pond ecosystems. Working both in peri-urban and rural areas, we have revived 57 water bodies till date and have saved 63.05 hectares of land from encroachment. This has resulted in 49 per cent increase in water holding capacities of ponds and nearly 57 crore litres of additional water potential has been created.

Apart from direct implementation, Development Alternatives has now moved towards providing technical inputs to the government authorities, especially on different wastewater treatment models designed for peri-urban areas to treat the greywater entering the ponds, community engagement and behavioural change.  Some of our partners in this space include – HCL Foundation, ATE Chandra Foundation, Fatehpur District Administration, Marico Foundation, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, Yamuna Industrial Expressway Development Authority, etc.

[H4] Financing for Climate Change, Biodiversity & Nature

Our work drives towards augmenting investment and enabling ease of access to financing to tackle climate change, promote biodiversity and reconcile with nature. We generate evidence on the impact and investability of Nature-Based Solutions, evaluate climate positive action for alignment to national and international targets (including but not limited to SDGs, CBD, NBT, LDN target of India and INDCs), as well as advocate and build stakeholders’ network for collaborative solution designing – especially for financing adoption and replication of solutions at scale.

[H4] Awareness, Action, and Advocacy

We use various tools to bridge the information gap between community and policy. The aim is to bring behaviour change for sustainable development, probing into the socio-economic and political factors, identifying priorities, assessing risks and opportunities, empowering people, strengthening institutions, and promoting social change within a complex cultural and political environment. Radio Bundelkhand, a community radio station in Bundelkhand, is one of the mediums we use to reach out to the community and spread awareness. This plays a vital role in facilitating inclusive governance systems, giving ‘voice’ to poor and marginalised groups, enabling citizen participation, and sustainable social accountability.

[H4] Inclusive and Sustainable Farming Models

We work with farmers to build inclusive and sustainable farming models in the most vulnerable regions of the country. Sustainable agriculture is amplified by linking farmers, especially smallholder farmers, to appropriate eco-technologies, providing technical support, and conducting farmers training to build resilient farming systems. Our initiatives aim to bring improvement in the economic well-being of farmers through enhanced productivity and profitability. We have been instrumental in introducing new practices such as dry sowing, developing farm bunds and agri-horticultural planting, and the ‘Wadi’ model.

[H4] Natural Resource Management

Our natural resource management solution depicts a strong practice-to-policy connect with on-ground demonstration of resilient models and improved practices for land and water management, sustainable agriculture, and climate-adaptive decentralised planning, alongside research and policy influence the farmer-producer organisations, resource flows, and ecological SDGs. We deliver improved water security through a combined approach of agro-horticulture and integrated watershed management models. In response to the chronic drought situation in Bundelkhand, we pioneered in establishing check-dams as a low-cost and sustainable technology for realising water security outcomes. Also, in peri-urban areas and rural areas, we work on rejuvenating ponds that have fallen to decline due to neglect, rise in population, poor governance, and illegal encroachment, thereby leading to water stress, loss of green cover, and soil degradation.

[H3] Sectors

[H4] Sustainable Agriculture

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[H4] Water Solutions

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[H4] Climate Response

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