BAIF INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS AND DEVELOPMENT
[BISLD]
BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development (BISLD), is a not-for-profit Organisation registered under Section 8 (formerly Section 25) of the Companies Act, 1956 and formally established on April 16, 2012. BISLD is closely associated with BAIF Development Research Foundation, a reputed Non-Government Organisation founded in 1967 by Dr. Manibhai Desai, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mission
The Mission of BISLD is to create opportunities of gainful self-employment for the rural families, ensuring sustainable livelihood, enriched environment, improved quality of life and good human values. This is being achieved through skill development, effective use of local resources, extension of climate smart technologies, facilitation for value chains of farm-produce and community participation.
Board of Directors
Mr. Hrishikesh Mafatlal
Chairperson
Mr. Kishor Chaukar
Director
Mr. Devendra Mehta
Director
Mr. Jagmohan Bajaj
Director
Mr. Sunil Lalbhai
Director
Mr. Sharad Upasani
Director
Mr. Deepak Mehta
Director
Mr. Girish Sohani
Director
Mr. Bharat Kakade
Managing Director
Organogram

Programme and Programme Outreach
BISLD is committed to promote sustainable livelihood of the rural poor. With an innovative and integrated approach to rural development and environmental conservation, the flexibility of the programmes enables BISLD to serve the most disadvantaged by addressing the specific needs of each family, village and local area. Community participation is the foundation of all the programmes.
The following programmes are being implemented:
Livestock Based Livelihoods: The Dairy Development Programme aims at improving the livestock breed through artificial insemination for enhanced production. Promotion of goat husbandry and backyard poultry for landless, small and marginal farmers are another activity. The key components are:
- Genetic improvement of livestock through artificial insemination centres, each catering to a cluster of about 12-15 villages
- Preventive health care and first aid services
- Promotion of fodder production and feed management
- Facilitation for developing value chains for both dairy and goat development programmes
Water Centric Livelihoods: Sustainable management of natural resources for viable development of community and ecosystem is the key aspect of this programme. The projects under NRM include:
- Watershed Development
- Land scape Approach for resource management through convergence of resources
- Region-specific innovative approaches for water resource management – arid, semi-arid, hill, ravine, Western Ghats, rain-rich areas
- Promotion of efficient water use technologies
- Silvipasture for conservation of wastelands and production of fodder
- Promotion of non-conventional energy such as solar and bio-energy
- A forestation, Industrial Greenbelt Development, Environmental Awareness
- Forest-based livelihood
- Climate change adaptation and mitigation
Climate Action Programmes: Based on the Fodder development resource base of the families and the area, the projects are designed to create a source of sustainable livelihood in the farm. The projects are mainly implemented in the tribal and resource poor areas. The main projects include:
- Wadi (Agri-horti-forestry based livelihood)
- Improved agricultural practices for enhanced production and income
- Sustainable Multi-species Agricultural Resource-use Trials (SMART) for diversified and intensive farming in small plots
- Climate smart agriculture
- Organic farming
- Sericulture
- Agri-business through local people’s organisations
Health, Nutrition and Women Centric Development: This programme aims at improving the quality of life of the participant families through preventive health measures and development initiatives as given below:
- Clean drinking water supply, sanitation, and hygiene
- Mother and child health care
- Empowerment of tribal healers
- Agriculture-nutrition and nutrition supplementation
- Promotion of backyard gardens for better family nutrition
- Women Empowerment through –
- Promotion of Self-Help Groups of Women
- Drudgery reduction technologies
- Empowerment of women through micro- enterprises
- Linkages for micro-finance
- Literacy and education
Skill Development and Empowerment: Community empowerment, promotion of leadership among community members and skill development for self-employment are the key measures.
The important activities include the following:
- Awareness generation on overall development and entitlements
- Promotion of People’s Institutions for continued and sustainable development
- Skill development of rural youth in various farm-based and non-farm vocations
Programme Impact
A family with three milch animals earns an income of Rs. 60,000 – 75,000 per annum while a tribal family through Wadi (Agri-horti-forestry based livelihood) is able to earn Rs. 40,000 – 55,000 per year and come out of poverty. With the increase in cropping area by 20-30%, the watershed development programme generates year-round employment even for landless and increase in crop production by 35-60%. The quality of life of the community especially of women and children has increased with various health measures and development initiatives.
Internal Committee
Ms. Lalita Joshi, Presiding Officer
Ms. Manasi Chiplunkar, Member
Ms. Sujata Kangude, Member
Dr. Arvind Kulkarni, Member
Ms. Ashlesha Deo, Member
Ms. Preeti Karmarkar, External Member
Outreach
The programmes of BISLD are being implemented across 13 states of India through a team of senior development professionals and field implementation staff. The operations are spread over the following Regions:
Head Office : Pune, Maharashtra
Northern Region – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan
Southern Region – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka
Eastern Region – Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh
Western Region – Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
The Regional Headquarters are located at Prayagraj (North), Hyderabad (South), Sambalpur (East) and Nashik (West). The multidisciplinary programmes of BISLD and its Associate Organisations are spread across 325 districts reaching out to 4 million families.
BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development (BISLD)
NH 4, Dr. Manibhai Desai Nagar, Warje, Pune 411058
Ph. No. 91-20-25231661-8 E-mail: bisld@baif.org.in
Website: www.bisld.org.in
Regn. No. CIN: U73200PN2012NPLC42984
BISLD Maharashtra
BAIF-MITTRA Bhavan
Opp Niwas Homes, Behind Bodhale Nagar, Nasik – Pune Road,
Nasik 422 011, Maharashtra
Phone: 91-253-2416057
E-mail: bisld.maharashtra@baif.org.in
BISLD Gujarat
3 Floor “Indra Complex”,
Near Amarjyot Society
Manjalpur, Vadodara 390 004, Gujarat
Phone: 91-265-2651802
E-mail: bisld.gujarat@baif.org.in
BISLD Karnataka
“Kamdhenu”, P.B. No. 3,
Sharada Nagar, Tiptur 572 202
Karnataka
Phone: 91-8134-250658
E-mail: bisld.karnataka@baif.org.in
BISLD Telangana
House No. 17-1-382/SN/22
Srinivasa Nagar Colony
Near Sports Club, Champapet
Hyderabad 500 059, Telangana
Phone: 91-40-24075405
E-mail: bisld.telangana@baif.org.in
BISLD Andhra Pradesh
House No. 23-1185
Vishnukundi Nagar
Vinukonda 522 647
District Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
E-mail: bisld.ap@baif.org.in
BISLD Rajasthan
BAIF Bhavan, G Block
Near Community Hall, Hiran Magri
Sector 14, Udaipur 313 002, Rajasthan
Phone: 91-294-2640133
E-mail: bisld.rajasthan@baif.org.in
BISLD Uttar Pradesh
BAIF Bhavan
27 A, Tagore Town
A.C. Banerjee Road
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh 211002
Phone : 0532-3500117,3500118
E-mail: bisld.up@baif.org.in
BISLD Uttarakhand
Nathanpur Ring Road
Mussoori Bypass (Jogiwala)
P.O. Nehrugram 248005
Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Phone: 91-135-3566165
BISLD Bihar
House No. 1, Road No. 8,
East Patel Nagar
Patna 800 023
Phone: 91-612-2292486
E-mail: bisld.bihar@baif.org.in
BISLD Odisha
Qtr. No.: L4, Saraswati Enclave
Opp. City Station, Sarla, PO. Dhankunda
Sambalpur, Odisha 768 006
Mobile : 7894418530
E-mail: bisld.odisha@baif.org.in
BISLD Jharkhand
House No. 400B, Road No. 4C,
Ashok Nagar, P.S. Argora,
Ranchi 834002, Jharkhand
E-mail: bisld.jharkhand@baif.org.in