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The Borrower the System Forgot to Design For

Somewhere in rural India right now, a woman is being turned down for a loan of about ₹1.5 lakh. She has never missed a repayment. Her business has a track record that could be easily verified—if anyone asked to see it. She will likely walk away from that bank without …

40 Years On: The Green Transition Has Always Been About People

40 Years On: The Green Transition Has Always Been About People

In 1982, when Development Alternatives was founded, the vocabulary that governs India’s recent development ambitions did not yet exist. Sustainable development had no official definition. That would come five years later, in the Brundtland Commission’s landmark report – Our Common Future. Green jobs, circular economy, sustainability itself: none of these …

Making the Village Work: Integrated Development in Practice From the Editor’s Desk

Making the Village Work: Integrated Development in Practice

For years, rural India has seen significant development through various schemes aimed at improving infrastructure and providing funding. The scale is undeniable—and so are the results. Since 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission has provided tap water connections to more than 140 million rural households, boosting national rural coverage from about …

Indian Brick Sector needs System change

Workers at a brick kiln factory India’s brick sector sits at the intersection of extreme poverty and environmental degradation. With over 1.4 lakh kilns producing more than 250 billion bricks annually, it consumes nearly 50 million tonnes of coal and emits 66 to 84 million tonnes of CO₂ every year. …

Water: The Most Critical but Most Used Resource of the World

Water is the most important and widely used resource on Earth, essential for sustaining life. It plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, supporting agriculture, and driving industrial production. Almost everything in our life is connected to water. About 60% of our body is composed of water and …

Airwaves of Change: Radio Bundelkhand’s Gender-Inclusive Revolution

With its rugged landscape and arid climate, Bundelkhand is a canvas painted by contrasts. This plateau, marked by breathtaking landscapes, has also been scarred by a pattern of harsh climate—frequent droughts, shrinking water tables, and cracked, thirsty fields. For generations, it has been shaped by erratic monsoons and depleting natural …