Development Alternatives contributed to the newly launched “Women Mean Business” Gender Playbook, offering practical insights on enabling women-led micro-enterprises in India's green economy. Drawing from our experience in rural entrepreneurship, implementation of social innovation and ecosystem-building, our inputs helped shape inclusive strategies and amplify grassroots stories alongside CEEW, Villgro, and SEWA.

Participatory planning through village-led governance and livelihood platforms

In June 2025, the Urja Mandala model took a major leap forward with the launch of two new solar mini-grids - 40kWp in Mirzapur and 30kWp in Sonbhadra. These decentralised, community-led energy systems are putting women at the center of clean energy transitions, supported by HSBC and local leadership.

Multi-location community events focused on beating the plastic pollution

Development Alternatives met Sri Harekrishna Panda, Superintending Engineer, PWD, in Keonjhar to promote low-carbon building materials. The meeting highlighted strong alignment and enthusiasm for sustainable innovations in Odisha’s infrastructure policies, paving the way for policy integration, scalable models, and deeper collaboration for climate-resilient public works.

To combat plastic waste and air pollution with data-driven solutions, UNDP India held a stakeholder engagement in New Delhi. The event focused on collaborative, community-led actions and highlighted citizen science, AI-based policy tools, and hyperlocal monitoring. To attain cleaner air and robust environmental governance in India, experts advocated for long-term, integrated approaches.

On April 25, 2025, Development Alternatives and the Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) in Simrawadi, Jhansi inaugurated the first-ever Udyamita Suvidha Kendra - a pioneering Entrepreneurship Facilitation Centre (EFC) that represents a new paradigm in locally embedded, systems-led enterprise support.

A high-level meeting led by Hon. Minister Mr Priyank Kharge was held at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, to explore low-carbon solutions for the cement industry. In coordination with Swissnex, Dr Debojyoti Basu Roy from TARA presented Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) as a low-carbon, low-cost cement alternative.

Empowering youth through strategic employment and industry partnerships

The Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) has launched the Suksham Udhyam Sakhi initiative to strengthen grassroots enterprise support. Over 13,000 women will be trained as “Micro Udyam Sakhis” to support nearly 6.5 lakh rural women in starting and scaling their own micro-enterprises. Development Alternatives is providing technical support to enable training, business planning, and ecosystem linkages at the community level.