Feb. 07, 2023

BAIF Pune Head Office organised a Blood Donation drive in association with Janakalyan Blood Bank with the active participation of 109 volunteers from BAIF staff at the head office coming forward to donate blood of which, 83 qualified for donating blood for saving precious lives.

Feb. 04, 2023

For the third consecutive year, BAIF Livelihoods, Madhya Pradesh, received the “Best Project Implementation Agency (PIA) Award for successful implementation of the tribal development (wadi) programme being implemented in 36 villages of Satna district of Madhya Pradesh under the NABARD-funded Tribal Development Fund (TDF). The award instituted by NABARD Regional Office, Bhopal, has been awarded to BAIF for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Jan 28, 2023

Outstanding Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs) and Dairy farmers associated with the dairy development programme of BAIF across Maharashtra were felicitated by BAIF Maharashtra, in Osmanabad (Dharashiv). AITs from Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur and Parbhani districts were evaluated based on the number of AIs performed, updation of the MKrishi application, number of calves born and other data reporting parameters. Dairy farmers taking regular services from BAIF and having land holdings less than three acres, were evaluated for the Best Farmer Award based on improved income generation and farm management practices followed. The Best AI Technician Award as well as the HDFC Project “100 Sorted Semen AI” Award was received by Mr. Maruti Kudale, Parada, Osmanabad district. The Best BAIF Sustainable Model (BSM) AI Technician award was won by Mr. Ajit Katkar. The Best Farmer Award was given to Mr. Jalindar Dete from Rui village in Osmanabad district. 8 other AI Technicians and 3 other Dairy farmers were awarded second and third prizes in these categories. The award recipients were felicitated with cash and gift prizes, certificates and plaques. 106 AITs and 10 dairy farmers along with their families and 30 women farmers participated in this memorable event. Dr. Nishikant Bhangale, Associate Thematic Programme Executive, Mr. Mahesh Narode, Regional In-charge, Dr. Santosh Ekshinde, Senior Project Officer and other team members from BAIF Maharashtra contributed to the success of this  function.

Dr. Vikas Gapat, M. D. (Ayurveda), Dr. Mukund Taware, Livestock Development Officer, Osmanabad district and Mr. V. B. Dyasa, Regional Director, BAIF Livelihoods – West were the Chief Guests at the function. Dr. Taware provided valuable information about government schemes for the benefit of dairy farmers and urged farmers to take benefit of these schemes. Dr. Gapat shared tips for leading a healthy lifestyle. Mr. Dyasa elaborated on the aims and objectives of BAIF and the important role of the dairy sector in bringing about rural development and poverty alleviation.

Jan 26, 2023

The 74^th Republic Day was celebrated by BAIF Head Office in Pune and all other locations in 13 states with pride, enthusiasm and joy. 

The national flag was hoisted by Mr. Bharat Kakade, President and Managing Trustee of BAIF at the BAIF Head Office in Pune today after a ceremonial guard of honour. In his Inaugural Address, Dr. Avinash Deo, Programme Organiser, BAIF, while lauding the effort to celebrate Republic Day for the first time at the Head Office of BAIF, acknowledged the supreme sacrifice of martyrs for love of their motherland and celebration of this historical day on which the Constitution of India written by the Father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar came into effect thereby marking the formation of the Indian Republic and the democratic rights of every citizen.  He appealed to the BAIF team across all locations to continue the mission of rural and tribal development which was the dream of the Founder of BAIF, Late Dr. Manibhai Desai.  

Mr. Kakade in his Address, while appreciating the effort to celebrate Republic Day for the first time at the Head Office and which is already a practice at BAIF, Uruli Kanchan, reminded the BAIF team about their responsibility to continue to work for the development of the nation through development of Rural India, keeping the ideals of Manibhai Desai in mind. Celebration of Independence Day and now Republic Day by the Head Office, apart from the Foundation Day of BAIF, has set the tone for continuing our committed effort towards sustainable development of the rural poor, he concluded.

Dr. Alok Juneja, Vice President – Programmes and Livestock Development, Mr. Shrinivas Kulkarni, Group Vice President – Finance, Mr. Babasaheb Pakhare, Chief Thematic Programme Executive and many members of the BAIF Pune team were present on this joyous occasion which instilled in everyone, a feeling of kinship and the desire to contribute in some way towards nation building.      

Shri. Rajesh Kumar Singh
Secretary, DAHDF, GoI

Jan 17-21, 2023

Milubhai Thakrya, Senior Programme Operator, BAIF, Kaprada, has been associated with the Gujarat Tribal Development Programme in general since last 27 years and holistic village development programme in particular.  Milubhai was felicitated by ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research and Indian Society of Oilseeds Research at the International Conference on Vegetable Oils (ICVO 2023) held in Hyderabad from January 17-21 for his significant contribution to the popularisation of  Niger oilseed crop among tribal families.  Milubhai, was nominated by Niger Research Station, Vanarasi, for his committed effort to motivate the tribal farmers of Kaprada and Dharampur regions of Valsad district to adopt improved cultivation practices of Gujarat Niger-3 variety.  The BAIF family is proud of him and his achievements.

Jan 13, 2023

“Biomass needs to be seen as a resource as it can provide socio-economic benefits to the farming communities”, stated Mr. Dinesh Jagdale, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, while delivering the Keynote Address at the one-day workshop on creating a Bioenergy Digital Marketplace jointly organised by MNRE, GiZ, BiofuelCircle and BAIF Agro and Bio-Technology Pvt. Ltd. and hosted by BAIF at its head office in Pune on January 13, 2023.

There are 54 different kinds of biomass resources available in surplus in various states which can help in turning industries green while meeting the energy needs and reducing our dependency for energy supply. The digital change and connectivity taking place in the world and reaching every household in every village in the country, need to be embraced.This workshop is an opportunity to connect Farmer Producer Organisations, Entrepreneurs and Industries who can create a demand, he further expressed. 

Standardisation of biomass by the Indian Institute of Bioenergy at Kapurthala, can consolidate India’s position and leadership in the world. With its 170-odd gigawatt capacity-installed non-fossil fuels, India is almost fourth in the world in the domain of renewable energy, he further added. 2030 – the decade of action, will continue to register a rise in the use of renewable energy and bioenergy. Showcasing biomass through a digital market place by BiofuelCircle is bringing real value to rural entrepreneurs, Mr. Jagdale concluded.

“Connecting agriculture and rural India is the basis of the BiofuelCircle Model”, stated Mr. Suhas Baxi, Co-Founder and CEO, BiofuelCircle, Pune. If India has to become an energy exporting economy, it needs to harness the biomass. He listed out the reasons for the poor response towards biomass enterprise – small landholding, high cost in collecting biomass, less economic feasibility, farmers not receiving much in the supply chain and the seasonality aspect which requires storage. If industry is the buyer, small rural business is the key and hence, the model proposed, can surpass all these constraints. This model has created a briquetter-pellet manufacturer which can locate rural storages and the latter can sell biomass and bio-refineries to mining sites and industries which require biomass. 20 such biomass banks are being set up in rural Maharashtra in association with GIZ and BAIF, he added. These efforts are creating economic activity and employment in rural areas, he further added. More than 300,000 tons of biomass are available for sale and the price discovery and quality delivery are assured, he expressed.

Mr. Bharat Kakade, President and Managing Trustee, BAIF, a partner in this bioenergy digital marketplace, while welcoming the participants, stated that BAIF was a suitable agency to host such a programme and carry it forward due to its vast experience across 100,000 villages in 325 districts of 13 Indian states and helping 4 million families. He highlighted the core mission of BAIF which is to provide gainful self-employment to large sections of rural communities in their own areas thereby reducing distress migration. The major programmes of BAIF viz. Agri-horti-forestry (Wadi), Livestock development, Watershed Development and Renewable Energy are climate smart, reduce carbon footprint and create local employment opportunities. He also mentioned the Integrated Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture (IRESA) programme for promoting biogas with filter to produce slurry cakes, with which either vermicompost or Bio-PROM is produced thereby replacing chemical fertilisers. In the context of emerging national and global challenges pertaining to climate change, he emphasised on the need to bring circularity in farming through an integrated approach of livestock-soil-crop-bioenergy management. There is huge potential in India for using crop residues fuel in the industrial boilers to replace conventional coal through a value chain approach. In collaboration with BiofuelCircle and with the support of GiZ, BAIF has made its foray into bioenergy production and the initial results look promising, he added.

Ms Nidhi Sarin, Programme Head, Access to Energy in Rural Areas, GIZ, stated that GIZ was happy to have appropriate partners like BiofuelCircle and BAIF and able guidance of Mr Dinesh Jagdale, Joint Secretary, MNRE, for their Bioenergy initiative. While supporting biomass-based briquette projects, GIZ had realised the demand-supply gap and disconnect of producers and consumers. This disconnect was addressed by BiofuelCircle by developing an online market place. Thereafter, GIZ, BiofuelCircle and BAIF came forward with the support of MNRE for pilot testing solutions in Maharashtra, resulting in this workshop. Biomass can be the key to meeting India’s climate targets and the new policy developed by MNRE highlighting the availability of surplus biomass, has tremendous potential for energy production, livelihood generation, income creation and empowerment of women. She highlighted the three models that may provide solutions to the challenge of crop residues namely, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), a society-led model and the model being piloted by BAIF and BiofuelCircle which takes both demand and supply sides into consideration and can be the answer to the problem of crop residue burning. A larger meeting is in the offing for follow up and upscaling of this initiative, she further stated.

Dr. Mahesh Kadam, VAMNICON, highlighted the need to have a four-pronged approach towards capacity building focussing on production, consumption, distribution and biofuel exchange. Dr. Rajashree Joshi, Programme Director, BAIF, highlighted the emerging area of renewable and green energy in BAIF with special focus on solar, improved biogas, agri-residue-based energy options as a part of BAIF’s initiative in transitioning to a circular and climate-resilient rural economy. The demand for biomass for soil enrichment and cattle feed was also highlighted.  

Mr. Girish Sohani, Principal Adviser and Trustee, BAIF, in his concluding remarks at the inaugural session, highlighted the need to create a vibrant bio economy in rural areas using biomass-based enterprise and business development opportunities and welcomed the partnership and support from MNRE for piloting such initiatives.

Mr. Tushar Lowalekar, Founding Member and Chief Business Officer, BiofuelCircle, highlighted the significant movement towards use of biomass and bioenergy and the opportunity in the farm sector for collective participation of FPOs and farmers in this space, demand for 125 metric tons of biomass and lamented the challenges of collection, transportation and access to market which has led farmers to burn agricultural waste. He also stated that out of the registered 16,500 FPOs, only 4000 are organised and highlighted the BiofuelCircle model with its focus on participation at FPO level with aggregation, briquette making and value for rural entrepreneurs. 

Mr. Satish Chinchalkar, Adviser, BiofuelCircle and Mr. Mayur Sarode, Associate Programme Manager, BAIF provided an overview of the Unfolding green potential through agri-waste management (UGAM) project being implemented jointly by BAIF and BiofuelCircle in 11 districts of Maharashtra with the support of GIZ.     

Mr. Vikram Dhaka, Senior Scientist, MNRE, highlighted the scope of the user-friendly new Bioenergy Policy launched in November 2022 to support energy recovery from bio-resources. He also mentioned that, India has already achieved its target of 10 gigawatt installed capacity of biomass-based power generation before its deadline and expressed that the time had come to prepare for scaling up manufacturing of biomass-based briquettes.

Mr. Pradeep Bhargava, industrial management expert and Member, Advisory Board, BiofuelCircle, headed the Panel Discussions on Policy Intervention and Accelerators for Bioenergy Supply Chain. He called upon all the stakeholders to find a solution and to take the lead with an aim of socially responsible service and not social service. Mr. Sohani stated that this initiative was scalable and called for a biomass-based value chain from consumer point of view, standardization of the bands of value and quality assurance. Mr. Ashish Vaishnav, Director, Gangotree Energy Projects Pvt. Ltd., called for embedding quality circle and to develop suitable applications while keeping the environment in mind. Mr. Shrinivas Kulkarni, Director of BAIF Agro and Bio-Technology Pvt. Ltd. and Group Vice President, Finance, BAIF, emphasised on the need for government support in the form of regulations and a comprehensive framework to support the bioenergy sector. He also highlighted the importance of considering environmental challenges and alternative sources of fuel and urged stakeholders not to rely solely on government subsidies but to also take a look at the sustainable and effective model already being built by BAIF and BiofuelCircle, which will also contribute to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics. Mr. Sachin Kamble, DGM, NABARD, highlighted the business opportunity through FPOs in setting up a briquette plant. Dr. Mahesh Kadam, Asst. Professor, VAMNICON, reiterated the resource management through aggregation, awareness and marketing aspect and the livelihood management aspect of this enterprise.    

Mr. Srirang Chorage, Torna FPO, shared the ground experience of his FPO in biomass aggregation business. He further mentioned that the transportation cost constituted a higher proportion of the overall selling price of biomass thereby reducing the farmer and FPO profit margins. If the transportation cost could be reduced, it would definitely help this sector to grow in future, he expressed. Prof. Suvarna Gokhale, Jnana Prabodhini, expressed the need for capacity building at the grassroots. 

Mr. Hemant Mohagaonkar, Executive Vice President, Thermax, as Panel Leader for the Panel Discussions on Supply Chain Conundrum, highlighted the seasonality of biomass as a serious concern, transportation and the need to add economic value at every stage. The panelists included Mr. Vikas Mhetre, Managing Director, Shree Industries who operates a briquetting plant, Mr. Mahesh Kambli, Director – Business Development, BAIF Agro and Bio-Technology Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Ram Phalke, Director, Panand Agro and Mr. Mirick Gogri, Head, Aarti Indutries. The panelists spoke about the need to work on the ground, need to ensure economic benefits to the farmers, importance of working capital, policy support, finance and seed support apart from value stream innovation, circular economy and to provide incentives to enable farmers to earn.      

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Suhas Baxi, reiterated the need for integrating a network of organisations and individuals with thought leaders for a more vibrant circular economy and the need for value discovery and demystification of biomass. 

60 representatives from farmer producer organization companies, women farmers, NGOs, Government Organisations, industries and NABARD participated in the workshop.  BAIF has been working on this theme which is an emerging development area. In the light of climate change and circularity, BAIF has development meaningful partnerships and supports innovations which are aligned with its mission of sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural India.  The workshop has set the direction to promote local initiatives in rural India to identify underutilised bio resources and to develop suitable infrastructure to make efficient use of these neglected resources for generation of green energy at an affordable cost, additional rural employment and for keeping the rural surroundings clean.

Jan 06, 2023

Gopal Rana, an unassuming Livestock Technician from the aspirational district of Balangir in Odisha, has a tag to his name now.  He is the Best AI Technician in the country, having been awarded the Gopal Ratna Award for the year 2022 – one of the highest National Awards in the Livestock and Dairy Sector, after clearing stringent evaluation assessments set up by the Government of India.

The BAIF Senior Management led by the President and Managing Trustee of BAIF, Mr. Bharat Kakade, felicitated this committed Centre In-charge of the BAIF-managed Sikuan Cattle Development Centre in Balangir district, at the head office of BAIF in Pune.  Also present, were the Regional Director of BAIF Programmes in the East – Mr. Rakesh Warrier, State Head of BAIF Odisha, Mr. Sandip Kakade and Additional Chief Programme Executive, BAIF Odisha, Mr. Vivek Singh. Mr. Kakade acknowledged the committed services of Gopal which has improved the livelihood of 1500-2000 socio-economically poor families from 10-15 villages in the district while also making a special mention of the support received by this livestock technician from his family particularly his wife.  Gopal has won the hearts of the families with his sincerity, devotion, confidence, efficient service delivery mechanisms and amiable personality. 

Gopal, who has been associated with BAIF, since 2011, shared his journey from a qualified social worker with a Master’s degree in Social Work to a private para-veterinarian and finally to a BAIF AI Technician – an organization towards which he was drawn having heard of the transformation in the lives of the families in various parts of Odisha due to the opportunities for gainful employment created by BAIF.  Thus, inspite of having to support a large family which included his parents, Gopal chose livestock development as his career. Realising the need to improve the efficiency of dairy animals and ensure that dairy cattle development is a reliable source of livelihood for small families, Gopal adopted cutting edge technologies such as sex-sorted semen, genomic evaluation and goat AI to improve the herd productivity as well as the income of livestock keepers. He has performed more than 1,700 sorted semen artificial inseminations which have assured 90% probability of female calves. He has performed more than 6,000 Artificial Inseminations during the last 3 years with a conception rate of 45% which has created assets in the form of improved female calves and bovine progenies and worth more than Rs. One crore. This achievement with a monthly average of 150 artificial inseminations, is commendable considering the constraints of dairy development in this backward region.  Gopal’s dedicated efforts have helped to enhance milk production in the area.  Livelihood security has enabled him to maintain his family and to afford education of his two children with the possibility of a brighter future.   

The Award is also a testimony of the efficacy of the robust model pioneered by BAIF integrating quality door-step livestock development services with skilled local self-employment. The support received by BAIF from the Government of Odisha, which has contributed to the dairy sector of the State and empowered the youth to excel in doorstep livestock development services, is gratefully acknowledged. We also take this opportunity to thank the Government of India for recognising and encouraging grassroots efforts in nation building.  

BAIF is implementing dairy cattle development with the support of various State Governments in 13 states including Odisha.

Dec 13, 2022

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Tata Motors and MGNREGA Department, Government of Maharashtra for the development of 100 reservoirs under Mission Amrit Sarovar in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, in Mumbai. BAIF Livelihoods will provide necessary project implementation inputs. 

Mr. Nand Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, MGNREGA Department, Mr. Bhanudas Palve, Chief Executive Officer of Palghar Zilla Parishad, Mr. Vijaykumar Kalwale, Assistant Director, MGNREGA Department, Mr. Sushant Naik, Global Head – Government and Public Affairs, Tata Motors, Mr. Vinod Kulkarni, CSR Head, Tata Motors, Mr. Bharat Kakade, President, BAIF and Mr. Sudhir Wagle, Chief Programme Executive, BAIF Livelihoods, Maharashtra, were present on this occasion.

Mission Amrit Sarovar promoted by the Government of India, aims at the development of water resources at the village level. This tripartite agreement paves the way for revival and development of 100 reservoirs in Palghar, Pune, and Satara districts of Maharashtra, with special focus on the tribal blocks. MGNREGA Department will provide wages, Tata Motors will extend technical assistance, material support and training and BAIF will provide necessary project development inputs.

Mr. Devendra Fadnavis directed all the concerned departments and agencies to facilitate implementation of Mission Amrit Sarovar.  Mr. Bharat Kakade and Mr. Vinod Kulkarni reiterated that improved irrigation will enable farmers to cultivate multiple crops, floriculture, horticulture, high value vegetable cultivation and become prosperous. Mr. Nand Kumar emphasised the role of MGNREGA in alleviating poverty and ending migration for livelihoods. Stressing on the importance of water resources for agriculture, rural livelihoods and holistic village development, Tata Motors and BAIF/BAIF Livelihoods pledged to implement the Integrated Village Development Programme to strengthen livelihoods, health, education, animal husbandry and natural resource management sectors.

Dec 5, 2022

World Soil Day was celebrated in various operational areas of BAIF.  In Maharashtra, the occasion was celebrated at Dudhmala village under the Tribal Utthan Project being implemented at Dhanora with the distribution of kitchen garden seed kit to 150 families in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Gadchiroli and ATMA.  The event was also celebrated at Umberkheda village in Jawhar cluster of Palghar district under the Hinduja Foundation Project.  35 women farmers attended the event which highlighted various soil conservation measures by the Project Leader Darshan Bhoye, demonstration of soil samples and awareness on soil management techniques including crop rotation and promotion of organic farming measures such as Jeevanmrut, vermiwash, composting and Dashparnaik.  

In Rajasthan, the event was celebrated under various projects and programmes. At Rausar village in Bikaner, an awareness programme on value of soil and its management was organized under the ITC Mission Sunehra Kal Natural Resource Management Programme to strengthen arid farming system for sustainable development. 60 farmers participated in this programme. The pro-soil approach of BAIF was highlighted through information on smart soil and water management practices adopted by BAIF which have enhanced soil carbon content, increased the crop yield and reduced the use of external inputs. It was also celebrated at Barmer under the Unnati Project in coordination with KVK Gudhamalani to create awareness on soil management among school children and farmers. Under the Hindustan Zinc Ltd. SAMADHAN Project, the event was celebrated at Chanderiya, Chittorgarh, with the active participation of the participant families including women and information on sustainable soil health management was emphasized upon.  

In Karnataka, under the NABARD-JK Tyre Billikere Watershed Project, students and teachers of the local primary school at Halebeedu in Hunsur, Mysuru district, actively participated in an awareness campaign on soil conservation.