Preface
SOIL (State of India’s Livelihoods), as this report is aptly named, has a seven year history.
Several scholars and practitioners of repute contributed to the previous years’ reports that
were brought out as edited volumes. When we agreed to author the report from end to end
this year, we were aware that the venture is likely to be arduous. But little did we realise how
much complex is livelihoods as a theme. While the diversity of activities and the geographical
variations are well known, the differences in approaches, types of interventions and the
differing flavours in understanding are usually not that well known. The livelihoods space is
full of anecdotal evidence and project/programme-related information, but a picture of any
single sub-sector within is available nowhere. The quality of information available varies from
excellent to trivial. The making of this report has to do with putting together the available
information, discussions with several authorities responsible for livelihood programmes and
implementing agencies in voluntary and private sectors, besides field interactions in 11 states.
While the commitment and passion is palpable in the field, strategic inputs from higher levels
require strengthening. The impression that one gets is that conceptually, policy-thinking on
livelihoods is short termwhereas the requirements are long term. Interventions aremore guided
by available funds than anything else. As a result, the patience and perseverance required to
make new institutions and approaches sustainable are in short supply.
We received enthusiastic support for the making of this report from a number of
institutions and individuals. We thank Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF),
Action for Agricultural Renewal in Maharashtra (AFARM), Hand in Hand, Srijan, BASIX,
Access Livelihood Consulting, Catalyst Management Services, Initiatives for Development
Foundation, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, ICICI Foundation, Seva Mandir, Ambuja
Foundation, Deshbandhu & Manju Gupta (DBMG) Foundation (Lupin group), Sahayog
group and others. We are grateful to Al Fernandes and B.S. Suran of NABARD Financial
Services Ltd (NABFINS); Girish Sohani, Bharat Kakade and Dr Ashok Pande of BAIF;
T. Muralidharan andVijay Kulkarni of CMS; Kalpana Shankar and Jeyaseelan of Hand inHand;
Ashish Mondal of Action for Social Advancement (ASA); Samson-GRAM; Vijayalakshmi
Das of Friends of Women’s World Banking (FWWB)/ANANYA finance; Gagan Sethi of
Navjivan Foundation, Muthu Velayutham of Covenant Centre for Development (CCD);
Amul Urdawareshe of Sahayog; Satya and Sarat Kumar of Access Livelihoods Consulting
(ALC); Ambuj Kishore of Aravalli; Venkatesh Tagat, Vivekanand Salimath, Raosaheb Badhe,
Vijay Subbiah, B.S. Shekawat andmany more. More than 45 producer companies spared their
time individually or in group meetings in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We benefited frommeeting people
and organisations engaged in finding market access such as Pradeep and Sridhar of ANTS;
Urmul, Ode to Earth, Raj Seelam -24 Mantra organic and others. We had excellent insights
on government programmes, thanks mainly to S.P. Tucker, IAS, Special Chief Secretary
(Planning), Andhra Pradesh; Rajiv Singh Thakur, IAS, Secretary, Rural Development,
Rajasthan; Dr Sandhya Bhullar, IAS, Secretary, Labour and Employment, Gujarat; Ananth,
Director, Animla Husbandry (AH), Telangana; Dr Dhananjay Parkale, Deputy Commissioner
of Animal Husbandry (DCAH), Maharashtra; Dr G.U.K. Rao, Director, National Institute
of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; Ishteyaque Jafri, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods
