In the 27th year of its existence, Udyogini has come a long way from its inception in 1992 (service provider, principally for training poor, asset less and mainly illiterate women in three backward states of India -Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha). As a specialized agency, on this date, Udyogini is placed at the very centre of developing cutting-edge knowledge and practice for microenterprises for the poor, especially rural tribal Women.

To provide a Historical perspective, in 2001, a Strategic Planning and Organisation Development exercise induced major changes in the strategy to implement field projects directly to help producers and micro-entrepreneurs to establish their micro-enterprises in Pugal (Bikaner-Rajasthan), Saharanpur (UP), Mandla (MP). In Pugal, new genre of craft was developed to serve a medium segment market for highly socially excluded 2,000+ women with low to medium skills by building local entrepreneurs. In MP business services were designed and delivered to promote forest and farm-based products to enhance the income of 2,000+ tribal women. In Saharanpur city around 1,000+ women were organized and involved in incense sticks rolling and hand crafted “Chunari” making. ICCO Netherlands, Ford Foundation, Intel Corporation, Forest Department (MP), Government of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Government of India, Misereor, NABARD, Reliance Life Sciences and American Embassy were the main donors in this phase.

Udyogini is widely recognised as a Knowledge Holder w.r.t value chains that show potential for scale in difficult market conditions in remote districts affected by poverty, conflict or climate challenges and broken enterprise ecosystems; lac, backyard poultry, mushroom, Medicinal and aromatic plants, vegetables etc. This body of work is spread through Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand impacting more than 50,000 Producers.

Udyogini intends to build further on providing opportunities to empower and capacitate women to understand entrepreneurship, build micro enterprises and integrate with market players with higher efficiency which leads to raise in income. This has been further reinforced by our mantra #IAMUDYOGINI which encompasses everyone associated with the Organisation as belonging to and working for every Udyogini (woman entrepreneur). As we move towards our 28th year, we know that our resolve is only strengthened by the faith that multiple Donors and Stakeholders have put in us.

Udyogini has been showing its progress and efficient performance for the past 27 years and is ready to step into its 28th year. During this journey, Udyogini has gone through phases of changes and improvements helping in making the organization distinct yet progressive:

1. Direct Contact with the Community members: Udyogini works with its mantra which is “I AM UDYOGINI” meaning everyone at Udyogini works towards alleviating women entrepreneurs. Udyogini’s effective and trained employees at the headquarters, as well as state locations, efficaciously engage with the community to deliver high-end results and be at the disposal of community members. Skill and Entrepreneurship Training (SET), Grassroot Management Training (GMT) and Training Need Analysis are carried out to deliver Business Development Services to women entrepreneurs which ensure direct contact with the community members.
2. Use of ICT and IEC Tools to disseminate information: Udyogini is matching pace with the digital world and is making constructive use of technologies to deliver high quality improvised information and solutions in the community as well as while communicating with other stakeholders involved in the project/organization.
3. Use of Existing resources in the community to initiate business opportunities: Udyogini firstly does extensive research into business ideas and interventions that are likely to be effective in the local context, organizing women in Self Help Groups and Women Entrepreneur Groups. From here, women are trained and mentored in entrepreneurship and skills necessary to take up their new or improved livelihood.
4. 4. Udyogini and the SDGs: For holistic development of the communities we work with; Udyogini has been conscious regarding its contribution towards fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
   Udyogini aligns with Goal 1 (ending poverty) which is central to its work. Udyogini proposes its solution and contribution by creating livelihood opportunities and increments in the income generation capacity of women.
   Udyogini and the SDGs: For holistic development of the communities we work with; Udyogini has been conscious regarding its contribution towards fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
   Udyogini aligns with Goal 1 (ending poverty) which is central to its work. Udyogini proposes its solution and contribution by creating livelihood opportunities and increments in the income generation capacity of women.
   Udyogini works on Goal 8 to ensure Decent Work and Economic Growth trusting in better work opportunities and higher levels of economic productivity by women as a result. By engaging in capacity building and income-generating initiatives, we aim for more inclusive and equal employment status for women.
   While looking at Goal 15: Life on land, Udyogini focuses on sustainable practices in the use of land in its agricultural projects. It incorporates the use of cultivation techniques that are good for both the land and the producers. Some of them include innovative techniques to use wastelands, such as the alternation of crops and wild-life resistant methods.
5. Multi-stakeholder approach: Udyogini believes in the Participatory involvement of every stakeholder at every stage to make the impact goal and objective oriented. Participation in dialogue, decision making and implementation of solutions is done to make work achievable.
6. SMART Goals: Udyogini’s Vision, Mission, and Objectives Are Specific in nature, Measurable in statistic, Achievable in practice, Relevant in need and Time-bound in duration which makes the organization highly cause and result oriented.

Udyogini’s ideology is to provide livelihood opportunities to women by providing them business-related knowledge, attitude, and skills. Alleviation in women’s livelihoods has proved to lower the poverty of families and has a direct impact on education, nutrition, and the standard of living of the families. Udyogini, directly and indirectly, serves all type of causes which foster sustainability. With our rich grassroots experience, we are continuously bringing transformative social change which can be aligned with a corporate to create a synergy that fulfills the needs of both partners.

Our efficiency with developing forward and backward linkages, Capacity building and income generation make us prudent and our positive impacts and wide outreach motivates us to work diligently for social purpose and cause. Our cost-effectiveness, proficiency in income generation and customization of tools make us a cooperative partner while collaborating. We at Udyogini also ensure the sustainability of livelihoods, impacts and front relations, hence we converge with the local government, local panchayat bodies as well as form human bonds.

Our proficient strategies in solving hurdles and bottlenecks at ground-level help us in delivering our best to communities and financial supporters. Mapping of the project area and Area feasibility studies, Rapid Market Assessment, Exploration, screening, and development of appropriate products, Business Plan Development Workshop are conducted to perform better in the communities. In addition, Street and site campaigns are also incorporated into action to mobilize vulnerable-marginalized rural-tribal women. Skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and life skills training and Handholding support for women are also kept in mind while strategizing tasks for end beneficiaries. 

Training has been Udyogini’s core product and unique proposition which helps us in enriching our grassroots experience and reinforce our impact in the communities.  Udyogini over the last 27 years has provided training to 6000+ development para staff from 500+ organizations within India (government, NGOs and corporate CSR wings) and internationally. Training of Enterprise support teams, Grassroots Management Training, Business counseling, Skill and Entrepreneurship Training are provided to beneficiaries for capacity building and aiding them in making appropriate interventions.

Diverse Thematic areas in which Udyogini works also adds to its relevance in society. Through Value Chain Development we look upon regional, national and global market-based opportunities for economic empowerment of vulnerable-marginalized rural-tribal women.  While establishing Micro-Enterprises, we leverage the local market-based income generation opportunities to enhance the income of vulnerable-marginalized rural-tribal women by helping them in acquiring the desired knowledge and skills to establish and manage micro-enterprises. Through reinforcement of Knowledge support for Enterprise Development, we share learnings and experiences with institutions to build capacity in the enterprise development domain.

Udyogini also has wide geographical coverage in which it works with 50000 vulnerable-marginalized rural-tribal women of 1295 revenue villages of 16 districts in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh.  About 60% of women belong to Scheduled Tribes and are marginalized and vulnerable due to constraints such as natural resource degradation, poor productivity and carrying capacity, high population pressure, poor investment in water use efficiency, lack of assured and remunerative marketing opportunities and lack of customized business services to address the issues of remote and disaggregated production, which lacks volume and downstream market access, as well as lack of knowledge, technology and opportunities for further processing and value addition. Therefore, we work towards making vulnerable-marginalized rural-tribal women self-dependent.

Our Team is the bedrock of the organization. We have a dedicated team of 100+ members who possess the requisite knowledge, attitude, and skills to customize business development services to vulnerable-marginalized rural-tribal women to establish, manage, scale-up and diversify their livelihood options. We have created mechanisms to periodically brainstorm and evaluate the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the programs enabled by technology-enabled monitoring systems to efficiently track programs. Our financial systems provide appropriate checks and balances to maintain operational efficiency and ensure program effectiveness.

In Jharkhand, our impact has reached 7000 women in 126 villages (10 blocks-3 districts). 50 to 65% of women have been trained in adopting improved practices which have increased their income from Rs 2k- 3k to Rs 4k to 7k.  Udyogini is paving a similar successful impact path for Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh as well.

In 2018 Udyogini was bestowed with 3rd Women Astitva Samman- a recognition to Promote Women Empowerment by Ph.D. Chamber. In 2017, CNBC-TV18 in collaboration with Union Bank of India awarded “Advancing Financial Inclusion through Women Entrepreneurship". In 2016, BRLF selected Udyogini as a resource agency for the Certificate Program in Rural Livelihoods to train grassroots workers.

By partnering with us, you will help India inch forward to meet its SDGs; one milestone at a time.