COSMIC

Development Initiatives in India
Useful e-links related to Middle and Bottom of the Pyramid Concerns in India
. Development Initiatives
. Development Institutes
. Governmental Resources
. Study Reports
. International Organisations
. Webzines - NGO's - Organisations
. International Webzines - International Groups

Development Initiatives:
. CSDMS - ICT intiatives - Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) iis a NGO located at Noida, near New Delhi. It has been actively involved in the field of development research.

. TeNeT Group at IIT Madras - Tenet group based at IIT Madras (lead by Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala) has a mission to transform communication in India by enabling 200m telephones & 50m broadband connections, connect every village to double rural per capita GDP, set next generation wireless standards and install high quality distance education for rural areas.

. National Innovation Foundation - NIF (lead by Professor Anil Gupta from IIM Ahmedabad) has a mission of analyzing the indigenous knowledge of farmers, artisans, and pastoralists, building bridges to science-based knowledge, and to ensuring that grassroots innovators are both encouraged and given credit for the results of their initiative and creativity. NIF provides a guide and resource base for innovations at the grass roots level.

. Development Alternatives - DA (Visioned by Ashok Khosla) is an NGO that has aims to create sustainable livelihoods in large numbers. Significant solutions have been made for literacy, clean drinking water, eco habitat and renewable energy - Schools covered: 20,000, People empowered: 6.6 million, States covered: 13 and NGO’s: 650

. e-Choupal - e-Choupal is an initiative of ITC Limited, a large multi business conglomerate in India, making use of the internet to inform and support farmers for procurement of agricultural and aquaculture products like soybeans, wheat, coffee, and prawns.

. Technology for Emerging Markets at MSR India - This group seeks to address the needs and aspirations of people in the world's developing communities. Our research targets people who are increasingly consuming computing technologies and services as well as those for whom access to computing remains largely out of reach.

. Azim Premji Foundation - The Foundation works in the area of education to pilot and develop 'proofs of concept' that have a potential for systemic change in India's 1.3 million government-run schools. In December 2010, Azim Premji pledged to donate $2 billion for improving school education in India..
Schools covered: 20,000; Children engaged: 2.5 millio; Workforce: 250 professionals and hundreds of volunteers.

Development Institutes:
.Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research - The aims and objectives of the Institute are to promote and conduct research on developmental issues from a broad inter- disciplinary perspective (economic, technological, social, political and ecological).

. M S Swaminathan Research Foundation - MSSRF (lead by Dr. M S Swaminathan) has all along been developing and following a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women and pro-sustainable on-farm and non-farm livelihoods through appropriate ecotechnology and knowledge empowerment. MSSRF has been implementing the Village Resource Centres (VRCs) and Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs).

. Institute for Rural Management Anand - IRMA was established at Anand, Gujarat to provide management education, training, research and consultancy support to co-operatives and rural development organisations in India.

Governmental Resources
. Ministry Links: - each ministry would have [links] to various policies and reports
. Ministry of Agriculture
. National Horticultural Board
. Ministry of Rural Development
. Ministry of Micro, Mediium and Small Enterprises
. Ministry of Human Resources Development
. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
. National Rural Health Mission
. Central Bureau of Health Intelligence
. Ministry of Human Resources Development
. Department of School Education and Literacy
. Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
. Department of Telecommunications
. Department of Information Technology
. Ministry of Culture
. Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts - Digital Library

. Planning Commission - has [links] to various reports of the future plans in India
. 11th Five Year plan 2007 - 2012:
. 11th Five year plan homepage - has [links] to reports from previous years
. Report on Inclusive growth
. Report on Social Sector, Health, etc.
. Report on Agriculture, Rural Sector, etc.

. Census of India conducted every 10 years - the most recent being 2011 (the census started in 1872). The final report should be available by this year end. The home page has links to various reports.
. Provisional Population details for 2011 - has [links] to various reports

. Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council - TIFAC is an autonomous organization set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to look ahead in technologies, assess the technology trajectories, and support technology innovation by network actions in select technology areas of national importance. - has [links] to various reports

. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development - NABARD is set up as an apex Development Bank with a mandate for facilitating credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries, cottage and village industries, handicrafts and other rural crafts.

. Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology - CAPART is a nodal agency for catalysing and coordinating the emerging partnership between voluntary organisations and the Government for sustainable development of rural areas. - has [links] to various reports

Study Reports
Media:
. India Social Media Report 2010 by OSC
. Entertainment Media Report 2011 by KPMG - FICCI
. Mobile Development Report 2006 by CKS

Health:
. Gearing up for Healtcare 3.0 Report 2010 by McKinsey - CII
. Emerging Trends in Healthcare Report 2011 by KPMG -ASSOCHAM
. Healthcare in India Report 2006 by Price Water House
. Quality of Heathcare Services in Rural India 2011 by Vikalpa
. Vaccine Delivery Innovation Report 2011 by CKS

Transportation:
. Indian Auto Industry Report 2010 by KPMG

International Organisations
. Bytes for All - ‘bytesforall.net’ is a citizen’s network in South Asia that identifies, discusses and builds network on emerging issues related to ICT and its impact to development (ICT4D).

. Asia Pacific Development Information Programme - In collaboration with National Governments, APDIP seeks to assist national and regional institutions in Asia-Pacific to improve access, knowledge-sharing, networking, and management, and application of ICTs for social and economic development. Link to case studies

. World Business Council for Sustainable Development - WBCSD provides a platform for companies to explore sustainable development, share knowledge, experiences and best practices, and to advocate business positions on these issues in a variety of forums, working with governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations..

. International Development Research Centre - IDRC supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development. The result is innovative, lasting local solutions that aim to bring choice and change to those who need it most.

. International Institute of Sustainable Development - IISD is a Canadian-based, public policy research institute that has a long history of conducting cutting-edge research into sustainable development.

. InfoDev - a global grant program managed by the World Bank to promote innovative projects on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for economic and social development, with a special emphasis on the needs of the poor in developing countries.

. Global Knowledge Partnership - GKP brings together Public Sector, Private Sector and Civil Society organisations with the goal of Sharing Knowledge and Building Partnerships in Knowledge and ICT for Development.

Further Resources - India: