BAIF Development Research Foundation

BAIF Development Research Foundation, formerly registered as the Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation, is a reputed civil society organisation established 51 years ago by Dr. Manibhai Desai, an associate of Mahatma Gandhi, at Urulikanchan, near Pune in Maharashtra state of India, to promote need-based sustainable livelihood in rural India.  BAIF has achieved a perfect alliance between its vision of a self-reliant rural society assured of food security, safe drinking water, holistic health, gender equity, high moral values and clean environment, with its mission of gainful self-employment, through development research, technology and skill enhancement with community mobilisation.

Governed by a Board of Trustees, comprising of eminent development professionals and business houses with a commitment towards social development, the tangible and non-tangible outcomes of BAIF’s cutting edge technologies and climate resilient programmes in livestock, water resources, agriculture, family farming and non-farm sectors, are accessed annually by 5.15 million families, from 80,000 villages in 15 states, contributing more than Rs. 15,000 crores to the Gross Domestic Product.  During this journey, BAIF has built up a professional team of more than 5500 employees.  With its thrust on ICT application in its extension programmes, BAIF is inching towards inclusive development with a global perspective.