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Our Work

We work at the intersection of rural livelihoods, water security, and biodiversity conservation across diverse ecosystems in India, with a strong focus on the Himalayan region, recognising that social and ecological resilience must be built together. Our work is rooted in community leadership, inclusive institutions, and locally grounded knowledge, enabling communities to shape and sustain change over time.

Our Focus Areas

Community-led pathways for resilient livelihoods and healthy mountain ecosystems

Sustainable Livelihoods & Rural Development

Sustainable Livelihoods & Rural Development

This core area brings together sustainable livelihoods and women-led, inclusive development, recognising that economic security and equity are deeply interconnected in rural mountain contexts. This works because placing women’s leadership and inclusion at the centre strengthens livelihoods while building more resilient rural economies.

What we work on:
  • Farm and non-farm livelihoods
  • Natural resource–based enterprises
  • Value addition and access to local markets
  • Addressing land abandonment and distress migration
  • Women’s leadership in livelihoods and enterprises
  • Skill development and strengthening women’s collectives
  • Ensuring equity in access to resources and decision-making

Agri-Entrepreneurship through Capacity Building and Training

CBED has been promoting sustainable agriculture and livelihood opportunities in Uttarakhand for over eighteen years, addressing systemic challenges faced by smallholders and rural youth.

Our Agri-Entrepreneurship initiative at the Dhoolkot Training Centre empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to establish viable agri-businesses by building practical skills and business capabilities. As part of this, participants undergo a 45-day residential training under the Agri-Clinic & Agri-Business Centre (AC&ABC) programme of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, implemented through the MANAGE Institute, Hyderabad.

In addition to this flagship course, CBED offers short-term, hands-on training in areas such as mushroom cultivation, floriculture, food processing, vermicomposting, nursery management, plant clinics, dairy and poultry farming, horticulture, and hydroponics, enabling youth and farmers to diversify income pathways and adopt innovative enterprise models.

This initiative is part of CBED’s broader effort to nurture sustainable livelihoods, strengthen regional entrepreneurship, and enhance resilience in mountain agriculture, in response to climate, resource, and economic challenges faced by rural communities.

Explore the courses we offer

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Water Security & Spring-shed Management

Water Security & Spring-shed Management

This core area integrates water security and spring-shed management with landscape-level ecological processes. Water serves as a unifying entry point to address climate resilience, land use change, and ecosystem health at village and landscape scales.

What we work on:
  • Spring rejuvenation and protection
  • Catchment treatment and forest–water linkages
  • Community water governance
  • Climate resilience at village and landscape scale
  • Role of forests and land use in hydrological stability
Biodiversity & Forest Landscape Conservation

Biodiversity & Forest Landscape Conservation

This core area brings together biodiversity conservation and community capacity building, recognising that long-term ecological outcomes depend on strong local institutions and shared knowledge. Conservation efforts are more effective and sustainable when communities are active stewards of their landscapes.

What we work on:
  • Forest restoration and assisted natural regeneration
  • Biodiversity conservation in community-managed landscapes
  • Strengthening village institutions for resource governance
  • Participatory monitoring and documentation (citizen science)
  • Youth engagement and intergenerational knowledge transfer

Our Approach

Across all our focus areas, CBED works through integrated, community-led approaches that strengthen livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and build resilient local institutions in fragile mountain landscapes.

Empower

Enable women, youth, and communities to build confidence, leadership, and ownership over their livelihoods and local resources.

Build Capabilities

Support practical skills and enterprise development in climate-resilient livelihoods, value addition, and community-based services.

Enable Collective Action

Strengthen community institutions and producer groups to manage enterprises, share benefits fairly, and sustain local initiatives.

Link to Opportunities

Connect communities with markets, finance, digital tools, government programmes, and partnerships to secure and grow incomes.

Sustain and Adapt

Promote environmentally responsible practices, community-led learning, and adaptive decision-making to ensure livelihoods remain resilient to social, economic, and climate change.

Impact at a Glance

Over more than 20 years of continuous engagement, the Centre for Business and Entrepreneurial Development (CBED) has worked alongside rural and mountain communities to strengthen livelihoods, build local institutions, and restore critical natural resources. Our impact reflects long-term partnerships and community-led processes rather than short-term project outputs.

Our Reach

  • 15,000+ households supported through livelihood development, water security, and ecosystem-based interventions
  • 300+ villages reached across diverse ecological and socio-economic contexts
  • 25+ village clusters engaged through integrated, area-based development approaches

Livelihoods and Local Economies

  • 20+ projects implemented across agriculture, agri-enterprise, rural entrepreneurship, watershed and springshed management
  • 2,000+ producer groups, SHGs, and farmer producer organizations supported to strengthen collective action and market access
  • 100+ cooperatives and federations strengthened or institutionalised to support community-owned economic initiatives

Women and Youth Engagement

  • 6,000+ women supported through integrated livelihood, enterprise, and health-linked programmes, strengthening economic participation and leadership
  • 3,000+ students and youth trained across agriculture and allied sectors, including skill development and entrepreneurship pathways

Water and Ecosystem Restoration

  • 30+ mountain springs rejuvenated in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh through springshed and watershed-based approaches
  • Multiple catchments and agro-ecosystems restored through soil, water, and forest conservation measures

Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building

  • Long-term support to village-level institutions, cooperatives, and federations to enhance governance and planning
  • Capacity building across financial literacy, enterprise management, natural resource governance, and participatory monitoring

CBED’s impact is grounded in long-term presence, trust-based engagement, and learning-led practice. Rather than isolated interventions, our work supports communities to build durable institutions, diversify livelihoods, and manage natural resources sustainably—creating pathways for social and ecological resilience over time.