“CSR contribution to PM CARES is OK. But CSR fund should go more into building stronger, resilient local communities,” says PRADAN’s Avijit Choudhury

Avijit-Choudhury-PRADAN

Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN) is India’s foremost agency working on large scale rural poverty alleviation. The Non-Government Organisation (NGO) works on scale with its expertise in thematic areas of agriculture, livestock, natural resource management and micro-enterprise promotion.

The NGO worked on more than 80 projects in 2019-20 with a collective budget of more than Rs 110 Crore. The agency works with most of the top philanthropic bodies and CSR teams working specifically on Rural projects. The illustrative list of its private and government partners includes Melinda Gates foundation, Walmart Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Ford Foundation, Axis Bank Foundation, Bank of America, HDFC, InterGlobe Foundation (Indigo) Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Bharat Rural Livelihood Promotion Society etc.

In this interview with TheCSRUniverse, Avijit Choudhury who leads PRADAN’s Resource Mobilisation, Communications and Partnerships (RMCP) talks in length about multiple initiatives of the NGO that is transforming lives in rural India. He speaks on the change in PRADAN’s work strategy in view of COVID outbreak and its COVID relief initiatives. He also speaks on larger CSR issues, livelihood challenges in rural areas and issues related to farmers income and areas where Corporates need to focus more while planning their CSR.

Source: The Csruniverse