Development Alternatives Group
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| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Type | Social Enterprise (Not-for-profit) |
| Focus | Sustainability, Environment, Development |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Employees | 340 |
| Website | www |
The Development Alternatives Group is an organisation based in New Delhi, India that works to address the issues of sustainable development of institutional innovations, combining social and environmental objectives with business-like approaches, bringing together research and technology development establishing a "practice to policy” connect.
The Development Alternatives Group comprises the not-for-profit flagship Society for Development Alternatives (DA), the business-oriented incubator Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), and its commercial subsidiaries, which include TARA Machines and Tech Services (TMTS), TARA Environmental Services Pvt Ltd (TARAenviro), TARAhaat Information and Marketing Services Ltd (TARAhaat), TARA Nirman Kendra (TNK) and DESI Power Orchha Pvt Ltd (DESI Power). While the focus of DA is on innovation and policy outreach, the mandate of TARA and its subsidiaries is to set up mechanisms for the large-scale delivery of goods and services that are essential for sustainable human development.
The Development Alternatives Group works at local, national and global levels. Its partners and clients include village households and communities, civil society organisations, local and state governments, agencies and ministries of the Government in India, multilateral agencies and private sector institutions across India, and a growing number of partners in South Asia, South-East Asia and Africa.
Vision and mission
Vision "A world where every citizen can live a secure, healthy and fulfilling life in harmony with nature."[1] Mission "To create sustainable livelihoods in large numbers"[1]
Strategy
- Design and large-scale dissemination of appropriate technologies,
- Rational environmental and natural resource management systems, and
- Equitable people-oriented institutions and policies
Focus areas
The Development Alternatives Group focuses on empowering communities through strengthening people’s institutions and facilitating their access to basic needs; enabling economic opportunities through improved technology and support for skill development for green jobs and enterprise creation; and promoting low carbon pathways for development through natural resources management models and clean technology solutions.
Development Alternatives Affiliates
Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA)
TARA was set up at the same time as the parent institution Development Alternatives. As an “incubator”, TARA takes the innovations of Development Alternatives through the rigorous stages of technology field-testing, proving, productionising and packaging to make these innovations ready for the market. As the ”aggregator”, TARA bundles the technology packages with the necessary support services, and makes them available to its subsidiaries (see below) who then market these to local, usually small, enterprises in rural markets to enable them to make and market basic needs products commercially to local consumers.
TARA also helps large corporations explore new markets and aggregates the output of local producer groups including micro, mini and small enterprises. It connects these groups to market opportunities for pyramid access and market development for ethical products and services. Governments, large Corporations and Civil Society networks benefit from TARA's expertise as a 'manager' of large awareness creation, environmental action, community development and service delivery programmes in areas such as affordable housing, renewable energy, water management, sustainable agriculture, waste management and recycling.
TARA Nirman Kendra (TNK)
TARA Nirman Kendra delivers environment friendly habitat products and services through a range of sustainable building technologies and advisory support. The Nirman Kendra offers the following services and products:
- Waste to wealth technologies - fly ash bricks, ferrocement shell roofing, micro concrete roofing tile technology, concrete blocks
- Prefabricated, low energy technologies - Ferro-cement roofing channels and wall panels, planks and joists roof, arch panels,door/window frames
- Habitat infrastructure - ecological waste water treatment systems, pre-fab toilets, roads, drainage, natural water purification systems,water storage tanks, smokeless cooking stoves.
- Green Design and training services
TARA Machines and Tech Services (TMTS)
TARA Machines and Tech Services Pvt. Ltd., delivers green business solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for building construction, waste recycling and handmade paper production. TMTS is a specialist company in Eco-concrete Technology, Eco-Kiln Technology, Fly Ash Technology and Recycling Technology.
DESI Power Orchha Pvt Ltd (DESI Power)
Decentralised Energy Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., more commonly known as DESI Power, is an independent rural power producer involved in providing electricity and energy services to reduce endemic rural poverty through local job creation and income generation.[2]
TARAhaat Information and Marketing Services Ltd (TARAhaat)
Launched in 2000, TARAhaat Information and Marketing Services Ltd. introduced Information Technology (IT) services in rural India.[3] These services include literacy, vocational skills and other products needed in rural communities.[4]
TARA Environmental Services Pvt Ltd (TARAenviro)
Incorporated in 2008, TARAenviro, a part of the Development Alternatives Group, is a private company that markets water testing kits and filters under the Jal-TARA brand, which help test the potability of water and offers cost effective solutions for improving water quality.[5] TARAenviro Products:
Development Alternatives Programs
TARAgram YATRA
The TARAgram YATRA is an annual event of Development Alternatives.[9] The 2012 YATRA focused on empowering women to lead the world on the path for sustainable development. The event celebrated contributions that women make to the economic, social and political lives of their countries, communities and families.[10]
TARA Akshar+
The TARA Akshar+ Literacy and Numeracy programme is a cost effective method for helping illiterate people to read, write and do simple arithmetic.[11] Using advanced learning and memory techniques and modern information technology, it can teach a person how to read a newspaper, write a letter and do simple calculations with up to 2-digit numbers – all in well under two months of classroom learning, with a daily class of well under two hours.
Radio Bundelkhand[12]
Based at TARAgram Orchha, DA’s Technology Centre at Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, Radio Bundelkhand is an ICT-based community radio initiative started by Development Alternatives (DA) and jointly managed by the local community and DA.[13]
References
- ^ a b "Development Alternatives". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "DESI Power". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ San Miguel, Stephanie. "Connecting Rural India to the Internet: The Challenges of Using VSAT Technology". SD Webworks. Sustainable Development Communications Network. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "TARAhaat". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "TARAenviro". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "TARAenviro". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "TARAenviro". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "TARAenviro". Development Alternatives Group. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "TARAgram Yatra 2012 Will Showcase Successful & Replicable Models of Sustainable Economic Development in Rural India". November 22, 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
{{cite news}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ Raj, Rahul (3 December 2012). "Empowering rural women entrepreneurs". The Economic Times. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ Stancati, Margherita (May 18, 2011). "India Literacy Program May Be World's Fastest". The Wall Street Journal India. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Radio Bundelkhand – an initiative of Development Alternatives (DA)". Stockholm Challenge 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "India's first rural reality show on Radio Bundelkhand paves way for organic farming revolution". Business Standard. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.