The three-day TARAgram Yatra 2024, hosted by Development Alternatives (DA), took participants on an immersive tour of Bundelkhand, giving them an insight into rural India and its developmental programmes.
Driving green and inclusive growth for over a decade, TARAgram Yatra 2024, the annual flagship event of Development Alternatives (DA), hosted yatris in Bundelkhand, with the theme ‘Investing in the Local & Green’.
Immersing participants in grassroots and social change efforts, the three-day event presented an opportunity to gain practical insight into rural India and developmental programmes. All this while enjoying Bundeli music, meals, architecture and royalty in a region celebrated for its cultural heritage and resilient communities.
The participants also had the invaluable opportunity to witness stories of change in real time through three Yatras – Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy, Livelihood Security & Inclusive Entrepreneurship, and Climate Resilience & Ecosystem Restoration.
A practice-to-policy initiative, the TARAgram Yatra spans a kaleidoscope of community interactions and discussions that has led to many policy-level papers at national and international levels. The event brings together social impact enthusiasts, national and international leaders, social innovators, policymakers, corporate, UN and government officials, and changemakers with the aim to galvanise sustainable policies and practices for social and ecological development.
This year, for the first time, the event invited yatris from the corporate sector, encouraging partnerships that integrate sustainability into business practices while contributing to the development of local economies.
Participants of the 11th edition of the Yatra had enriching interactions with rural communities, besides getting a chance to shop at the TARAgram Mela, exploring 25 stalls with products by self-help groups, farmers and artisans. The immersive experience also involved savouring rural Bundelkhand cuisine prepared by locals, enjoying an evening of Bundeli music and dance by folk artistes.
The resource-starved region of Bundelkhand includes seven districts of Madhya Pradesh and seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and has faced back-to-back drought years which have resulted in high water stress conditions, unsustainable farming practices, consequently resulting in farmer distress, high migration, unemployment, and poverty rate.
The three major thrust areas that DA has been working on in Bundelkhand are natural resources management, climate adaptation and resilience, and sustainable agriculture.
At TARAgram Yatra 2024, yatris were able to explore inclusive, participatory, and scalable models and practical solutions such as sustainable agriculture and watershed infrastructure to disseminate information and foster knowledge development for building a climate-resilient, green, and inclusive economy.
The Yatra began on December 13 with an orientation at the TARAgram Orchha Campus, followed by a tour of the TARAgram Mela, and a spectacular light and sound show at Orchha Fort. Participants engaged in thematic field visits, while exploring local heritage sites, including Raja Ram Temple, and Kalpa Vriksh during the three-day event.
The itinerary included “Four Charchas,” which included Aarohan (the welcome address) and the Naari Manchan (breakfast meeting) with rural women entrepreneurs at the nearby Hotel Anantara. The Nadi Kinare Chaupal panel discussion with CSR leaders was set along the banks of River Betwa with royal cenotaphs as a backdrop, while Saar Sangam marked an end to the proceedings.
These discussions involved thought leaders and specialists from academia, industry, civil society, and government. The result serves as a knowledge bank for the future, contributing to the planning and implementation of CSR policies and programs by DA and various corporations.
At the inaugural Aarohan, Shrashtant Patara, the DA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of the DA Group, set the overall context for the event. Other speakers during the Charchas included Shaila Sam, Head of Impact & Communication and Associate Vice President of DA Group, and Kanika Verma, Lead – Green and Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Associate Vice President, DA Group during Naari Manchan. Nadi Kinare Chaupal, a panel discussion among CSR heads on driving social impact, themed around advancing community-led climate action was moderated by Siddharth Bhatia, Lead, Earth Exponential, India Climate Collaborative.
Meanwhile, the conclusive plenary at the Saar Sangam consisted of Zeenat Niazi, Chief Advisor, Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency, DA Group; Amita Sharma, Former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development GoI & Technical Advisor, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation; Swayam Prabha Das, Associate Vice President and Lead, Policy & Planning, DA Group spoke.
The field visit during the Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy Yatra highlighted sustainable building solutions, allowing yatris to unearth onground methodologies to promote circular economy, emphasising on green and inclusive practices in the building and construction sector replicable across industries.
This took visitors on a tour of TARAgram Orchha and TARA Nirman Kendra, which have utilised resource-efficient materials and technologies. They also held discussions with residents of Mador village, which has used eco housing, learning about challenges and opportunities in rural habitats. They were introduced to the TARA Karigar Mandal, a model for trained artisans for resource efficient buildings and solar-based domestic water supply.
It also showed participants how demolition waste, industrial waste, fly ash, and bottom ash issues were addressed by DA in conjunction with bringing low carbon cement, leading to considerable reduction in carbon emissions even as housing and infrastructure development continued in urban and periurban Bundelkhand.
During the Livelihood Security & Inclusive Entrepreneurship yatra, participants witnessed DA’s micro movement of change, co-created with the community, which is enabling entrepreneurship and mentoring local role models.
They learnt about emerging entrepreneurial needs of women and the youth, and how this knowledge is used in building an inclusive local entrepreneurial ecosystem. It explored key themes of water security, sustainable livelihoods, energy transition to renewable energy solutions, policy and governance, and development communication Radio Bundelkhand, which is empowering communities.
The group also visited two agro-horti farms, where they interacted with farmers, besides recording live messages on Radio Bundelkhand.
The diverse group of yatris, including practitioners, researchers, and changemakers explored innovative climate resilience initiatives, alongside interactive sessions with local farmers, policymakers, and DA professionals.
The yatris were exposed to the watershed-based agricultural project (WADI), checked dams which revolutionised water management in the region along with pond rejuvenation projects. Yatris witnessed an on-ground behavioural change in the communities enabling them to fulfil basic needs of drinking water, sanitation, shelter, and energy.
Traversing Bundelkhand, yatris witnessed interventions that strengthen micro-enterprises, empower women and youth, promote sustainable agriculture, and build resource-efficient value chains. During the Livelihood Yatra, a cornerstone of TARAgram Yatra, they toured Ghughuwa in Jhansi, where they could see live examples of sustainable livelihood models, such as SHGs and community-based enterprises.
During the Creating Rural Livelihoods through Entrepreneurship Yatra, the event also witnessed several engaging activities. The participants were divided into two groups, which took them to TARAgram Orccha and Shakti Kendra, Ghughwa respectively.
The Kaun Banega Business Leader (KBBL), hosted at Gram Panchayat Sachiwalaya in Simrawari, Babina Block, Jhansi engaged participants in a reality competition format where innovative enterprises presented their business ideas. Meanwhile, the District Entrepreneurship Coalition (DEC) at TARAgram Orchha allowed entrepreneurs and stakeholders at the meso-level (district or zonal level) to collaborate on solutions to build a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region.
One event, a “Comic Workshop with Potential Women Entrepreneurs,” held at Shakti Kendra, Ghughuwa, enabled participants to narrate their journey from childhood to entrepreneurship through comic and pictorial presentation, highlighting transformational steps toward entrepreneurial activities.
The journey was more than an exploration of challenges. It was a testament to the ingenuity and determination of communities in Bundelkhand, who are paving the way toward sustainable and resilient futures.
Development Alternatives (DA), the world’s premiere social enterprise dedicated to sustainable development, is a research and action-based organisation striving to deliver socially equitable, environmentally sound, and economically scalable development outcomes.
The lead image on top shows participants from across the country, along with the Development Alternatives staff, posing for a photo after the Nadi Kinare Chaupal concludes. (Photo by Kirandeep Kaur)
This text is published in partnership with Development Alternatives and Village Square.
