Our Impact

Our Impact

PRADAN is making a measurable impact on India.

Women

In 1987, PRADAN pioneered the model of organising women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as an approach to mobilize poor communities and improve their livelihoods. Our pilots with SHGs, along with similar experiences gained from the large-scale community based government projects in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu have evolved into DAY-NRLM launched by the Government of India.

Till 31st March 2024, we engaged with more than 1 million women organized into 86,711 SHGs, making it one of the largest civil society efforts in the world.

These SHGs have cumulatively disbursed credit of nearly INR 7,209 billion (~US$88m). PRADAN supports 351 women's Block Level and Cluster Level Federations, an associative tier of self-help groups. These Federations give strength to their members to raise their voices against exploitation and violence.

1 million WOMEN ORGANIZED INTO 86,711 SHGS

Food Security

PRADAN has assisted nearly 825,673 rural families with crop selection and access to modern markets, enhancing their productivity by three to four times and ensuring year-round food security. The families grow cash crops, such as tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, broccolis, chillies that not only add to their incomes but also help the participating farmers augment nutritional benefits from.

825,673 FAMILIES FOOD-SECURE YEAR ROUND

Water

PRADAN has worked with more than 137,019 families to assure irrigation in 64,081 hectare (ha).

Every year, PRADAN directly supports these families in adopting the models of water conservation, which increase household incomes by 75-100%

137,019 FAMILIES SUPPORTED EVERY YEAR IN WATER CONSERVATION

Managing Natural Resources

PRADAN supports more than 227,253 small-holding farmers with integrated natural resource management to build resilience to water variability caused by climate change. We have designed methods ranging from small-scale on-farm water control measures to selecting crops that utilise residual moisture and are more adaptive to water stress and water surplus conditions.

Farmers adopt eco-friendly technologies and use weather prediction tools made available by PRADAN to diversify production risks and adapt crop choices.

227,253 FAMILIES SUPPORTED IN BUILDING RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Income

PRADAN optimises the resources available to the poor by helping them access funds and build their assets and capabilities so they can earn a decent living.

PRADAN has helped nearly 958,106 people participate in income generation activities like agriculture, fruit orchards, tasar silk and poultry. For example, our home-grown chicken initiative is the largest of its kind in India. We promoted National Smallholder Poultry Development Trust (NSPDT) which supports 14,000 women poultry producers organised in 27 producers' organisations in Madhya Pradesh Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Assam posted sales of Rs. 5947 million and earned over Rs. 400 million profit (FY21-22). Tasar Development Foundation worked with 20, 000 farmers rearing the seed cocoons needed to make in Tasar silk. At par in quality with the Central Silk Board’s standards, the seed cocoons produced by these farmers were enough to cover the entire year’s requirement at their local levels. This helped the rearers earn an income of Rs. 188 million (~US$ 2.5 million) during the last year.

958,106 FAMILIES PARTICIPATED IN INCOME GENERATION INTERVENTIONS

Grassroots Governance

PRADAN enables isolated and excluded women to build their skills on grassroots governance by mobilizing, motivating and training them. This builds their capacities for accessing entitlements and participating in different institutions like Gram Sabha (village council), block level and district level forums. Community engagement ensures relevant public investments and efficient delivery of public services.

In 42 of India’s poorest districts, communities have started accessing their rights and entitlements, making claims on constitutionally guaranteed provisions, and holding local village councils accountable. .

COMMUNITIES IN 42 DISTRICTS ACCESSING RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS

As on 31st March 2025, PRADAN, along with its partners worked with 3.4 million households spread across 42,500 villages, in 675 community development blocks, 140 districts, and 9 states of India.

PRADAN by the Numbers(Direct Action Team)

Brochure

PRADAN's brochure provides a comprehensive overview of our mission, vision, and the impactful work we do to make a difference in our community and beyond

Download Brochure

Milestones

  • 2024

    UN World Data Forum 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition: Maximising the Use and Value of Data for Better Decision Making
  • 2023

    Yashraj Bharati Samman 2022-23, Transforming People's Lives category

    Development Catalyst 2022 Award by ACCESS Development Services in the 25+ years category
  • 2022

    HCL Grant 2022, Environment category
  • 2021

    Water.org & Sa-Dhan Awards 2021, for excellence in water and sanitation financing in 2021

    7th CSR Impact Award 2021 under Environment category
  • 2018

    Business Standard Social Enterprise Award 2017 for Women Empowerment
  • 2017

    Spirit of Humanity Award for Women Empowerment
  • 2016

    Process Excellence Award for grass-roots work by Axis Bank Foundation
  • 2015

    Times Social Impact Award for livelihoods promotion
  • 2013

    Microfinance India Award as the Self-help Group Promoting Institution of the Year 2013 by ACCESS Development Services and HSBC

    Appointed National Support Organisation for National Rural Livelihoods Mission to support development work in Extremist affected areas
  • 2011

    M. Phil in development practice in collaboration with Ambedkar University, Delhi
  • 2010

    Ranked 1st in NGO category and 47th in over all India's best companies to work for 2010 by Great Place to work institute and the Economic Times

    Rozgar Jagrookta Puraskar by Ministry of Rural Development for efforts in generating awareness about implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
  • 2006

    First NGO to received ‘NGO of the year’ award by Jeet and Khemka Foundation and Resource Alliance Group
  • 2003

    Started first System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in eastern India
  • 1995

    Awarded K P Goenka award for innovative work on Natural Resource Management (NRM)
  • 1991

    Launched one-year Development Apprenticeship programme to train professionals
  • 1987

    Among the first to pioneer self-help groups
  • 1983

    Founded by seven desirous persons

Partners

Indian Donors

Ministries, Departments, Societies and Agencies (Government)

National
  • Indian Micro Enterprises Development Foundation
  • National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.
  • National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
  • National Cooperative Development Corporation
  • National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation
  • Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium
State
  • Directorate of Horticulture, Odisha
  • MP Rajya Ajeevika Forum
  • The Agriculture Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited
  • ST and SC Development Department, Govt. of Odisha
District
  • Agriculture Technology Management Agency, Koraput
  • Zilla Parishad, Sambalpur, Odisha
  • District Mineral Foundation

UN and International Agencies

  • International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • UN Women - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Research and Other Agencies

  • Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN)

Philanthropies

  • Azim Premji Foundation
  • Basudeo Kanoria Seva Sansthan
  • Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation
  • Education for Employability Foundation
  • GiveIndia
  • India Panchayat Foundation
  • Jan Priya Trust
  • Rainmatter Foundation
  • RG Manudhane Foundation for Excellence
  • Tata Education Trust
  • The J.R.D. Tata Trust

Corporate and CSR

  • Abis Exports (India) Private Limited
  • Aditya Birla Capital Foundation
  • Axis Bank Foundation
  • Bajaj Finance Limited
  • Bajaj Housing Finance Limited
  • Capri Global Capital Limited
  • Cheviot Company Limited
  • Corteva Agriscience Seeds Private Limited
  • HCL Foundation
  • HDB Financial Services Limited
  • HDFC Bank Limited
  • Hindustan Unilever Foundation
  • ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth
  • INDUSIND Bank Limited
  • InterGlobe Aviation Limited
  • IDBI Bank Limited
  • JAMIPOL Limited
  • Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited
  • Marubeni India Private Limited
  • McCain Foods (India) Private Limited
  • NTPC Limited
  • Oracle India Private Limited
  • Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited
  • Reliance Foundation
  • SBI Foundation
  • SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd.
  • Schneider Electric India Foundation
  • Wallace Flour Mills Co. Pvt. Ltd.
  • Western Coalfields Limited

Corpus Donor

  • Azim Premji Foundation
  • ICICI Bank Limited
  • IDBI Bank Limited
  • IFCI Limited
  • Individual Donors
  • Jamsetji Tata Trust
  • L & T Finance Limited
  • Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust
  • Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
  • Sir Ratan Tata Trust

Foreign Donor

Philanthropies

  • American Friends of EdelGive Foundation
  • Bank of America
  • British Asian Trust
  • Gates Foundation
  • Cadasta Foundation
  • Co-Impact Philanthropic Funds, Inc.
  • Commonland Foundation
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit(GIZ) GmbH
  • European Union
  • Fidelity Asia Pacific Foundation
  • Give US
  • Global Fund for Community Foundation
  • Global Greengrants Fund
  • Heifer Project International
  • IKEA Foundation
  • Livelihoods Fund SICAV SIF
  • New Venture Fund
  • Nomi Network, Inc
  • NatWest Group plc
  • Sophia Akash Foundation
  • Sequoia Climate Foundation
  • Share & Care Foundation
  • Stichting BRAC International
  • The Ford Foundation
  • Trickle Up Program INC
  • Walmart Foundation
  • Water.org
  • Welthungerhilfe
  • The University of East Anglia
  • Cornell University
  • Yale University

Research and Other Agencies

  • The University of East Anglia

Corpus Donors

  • Every Good Thing, LLC
  • HDFC Bank Limited
  • Individual Donors
  • Interchurch Organisation for Development Co-operation
  • NatWest Group
  • Paul Hamlyn Foundation
  • RBS Foundation
  • Silicon Valley Community Foundation
  • The Ford Foundation