About-CBED

Who We Are

The Center for Business and Entrepreneurial Development (CBED) is a community-rooted development organisation working to strengthen livelihoods, restore agro-ecosystems, and build climate-resilient communities. Established in 2005, CBED works across diverse ecosystems in India, with a strong focus on the Himalayan region, where fragile environments and rural livelihoods are closely intertwined.

CBED grew out of the Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) Project (2002–2005), a Canadian-supported initiative implemented in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh and Champawat districts. When the project concluded, members of the core implementation team came together to carry forward its vision—supporting mountain communities to rebuild agro-ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods, and foster people’s institutions.

Over the years, CBED has evolved from a small grassroots initiative into a multi-sectoral organisation working with communities, civil society organisations, and government programmes across Uttarakhand. Despite this growth, CBED’s core belief remains unchanged: people, livelihoods, and ecosystems are deeply interconnected, and sustainable development must be built on this relationship.

Vision & Mission

OUR VISION

Building a future in which individuals and communities have the knowledge, skills, and capacities to exercise their right to livelihood and have the wisdom to protect and enhance their natural resources.

OUR MISSION

Revitalising agro-ecosystems and livelihoods through establishment of grassroots institutions, fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships, and implementing community-based programmes.

Our Journey

CBED’s journey began in 2005, when members of the core implementation team of the Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) Project (2002–2005) came together to institutionalise the learning and momentum generated through that initiative. The organisation was established with a clear purpose: to continue working alongside mountain communities to restore agro-ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods, and build resilient local institutions.

In its early years, CBED focused on reviving traditional livelihood systems and supporting community-led economic development in fragile mountain environments. Over time, its work expanded in response to emerging challenges such as water insecurity, climate variability, youth migration, and ecosystem degradation. This led to the integration of women-led micro-enterprises, youth entrepreneurship, springshed and watershed management, clean energy transitions, and institutional strengthening at village and cluster levels.

Over nearly two decades, CBED has worked across multiple districts of Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, supporting thousands of rural and tribal households through integrated livelihood and natural resource management programmes. Today, CBED continues to evolve while remaining grounded in its founding principles—walking alongside communities, adapting to changing ecological and economic realities, and promoting development pathways that are both socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.