Shivani Gupta

Development Alternatives is reshaping rural India by turning job seekers into job creators. It has enabled 26,000+ enterprises, powering local economies through inclusive entrepreneurship.

Suhas Bali transitioned from a corporate career to exotic vegetable farming in Vidarbha. Despite lacking formal agricultural training, he adopted innovative farming methods to grow high-demand exotic crops — demonstrating that small landholders can achieve significant earnings. Remarkably, his initiatives have helped approximately 30,000 farmers increase their incomes fourfold.

Raised in a conservative family, Sudharani Marndi broke the mould to pursue art over a conventional career. From a small-time creator to an entrepreneur, she turned her hobby into ‘Jhunuk Crafts’, a thriving business with domestic and international orders — earning both income and her family’s respect.

Positioned alongside South India’s finest gorge, these historical sites invite exploration of their cultural and architectural significance amidst a stunning natural landscape.

Siddharth A K, Sooraj Verma, and Alvin George run ‘Carbon & Whale,’ converting plastic waste into tiles and furniture, preventing 10,000 kg from reaching landfills.

In the lush landscapes of Meghalaya, rural women endured arduous daily treks to fetch water, navigating challenging terrains while balancing heavy pots, even during menstruation or illness. That changed when Lakmen Mary Nongkhlaw led water conservation efforts, vastly improving access and transforming her community’s quality of life. Here’s how she achieved it.

Adopting horticulture can offer farmers sustainable advantages, with these crops generally yielding higher profits and longer-term returns than traditional farming. Five farmers who made the switch to horticulture demonstrate how it leads to increased income.

In Maharashtra’s parched landscapes, former IRS officer Ujjwal Kumar Chavan initiated a transformative water conservation project. Inspired to combat drought, he constructed reservoirs and check dams, increasing water storage across 204 villages. His efforts boosted farmers’ incomes, rejuvenated rivers, and fostered community resilience, demonstrating the power of collective action.

In 2020, assistant professor Sonia Dahiya built a thriving mushroom farming business, ‘Doctor Dahiya Mushroom Farm’. Combining her biotechnology background with a passion for community empowerment, she established a high-tech farm that produces 10 tonnes monthly while empowering rural women with steady incomes and new opportunities.

What if your trash didn’t just disappear but turned into something valuable? Mana Shah, founder of Green Practices, helps Mumbai households and corporations compost 500 tonnes of waste every month. The best part? They get nutrient-rich compost in return—for free! Here’s how she’s making waste work for the city.