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.

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.

Indian Micro Enterprises Development Foundation, a special purpose vehicle of Development Alternatives (DA) group, in partnership with PRADAN, along with the Center for Social Innovation & Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CSIIE), organised the Executive Training of Trainers on Enterprise Development for capacity building.

Ongoing community-led water conservation across 25 villages in Niwari

Accelerating Grassroots Innovations through TAP-RISE digital access.

DA signed an MoU with LAHDC and LEDeG for integrating ecotourism, waste management, and green construction for community resilience and livelihood enhancement in the Indian Himalayan Region.

School Based WASH Sessions to build healthy practices for a stronger community

The Aravalli Green Wall Landscape Programme aims to restore the ecologically vital Aravalli range through nature-based solutions. A workshop by The Nature Conservancy brought stakeholders together to chart a collaborative, community-driven roadmap for its implementation.