Evolution Process Continues

It has been long time since I wrote anything on this blog. Facebook has taken the space for the small headlines. But for long write up, this is the place.

Over last one year and half, things were too hazy and tough but we persisted and waited for some divine moment of inspiration. The inspiration never came but small small steps towards survival guided our way forward. Only good thing that we did that we kept walking. We kept on moving despite having hazy vision and dark clouds.

At this moment of time, the path way forward is getting more clearer.

Bihar Development Trust as a non profit organisation will survive now.


BDT 2.0 will be different from last five years. The headlines will be changed. The focus will be sharp.It will become a professional led organisation with 100% dependence on grant and donation for its work. It will exit from the social business space over next five years and the space will be taken over by businesses in private limited company mode. Over the next five years, Its debt will reduced to zero and it will execute projects on grants only. Its main role will be to build community based institution and enable them to do business in this market economy. All this nurturing will be done by the support of grants only.The focus area of Bihar Development Trust is also getting delineated. It will work on bamboo and weaving thematic area. This will entails fields like livelihood promotion, institution building, capacity building, climate change, environment , sustainable development etc. We are planning to hand over the management of Bihar Development Trust to professionals by 2017. The idea is to transform Bihar Development Trust into a resource organisation on Bamboo and weaving over next five years. Marketing activity of Bamboo based programme and weaving based programme is in process of being shifted to private limited company form.

We have become more patient and preferring to go slow and focus on consolidation of the business processes.Lot of innovation and good HR practices have evolved after these two years of struggle of becoming focussed.

The faith has become stronger . The ability to survive has acquired a new meaning.
Lots of things are happening which will be shared in coming posts.

Happy New Year 2012

Dear Friends , Happy New Year Greetings !!! We are in the fifth year of our entrepreneurial journey. 2011 threw lot of challenges are surprises at us and we are weathering the storm. 2011 saw the final death nail being hammered to non profit micro finance sector with clear although onerous guidelines for profit NBFC MFIs. There are challenges of bad debts, repayment and staff retention and retooling the micro finance staff for livelihood and marketing. The commissioning of bamboo stick making factory gave expertise in handling the problem of setting of new industry in a new area from scratch. We needed to conduct multiple trainings of women for making the stick and polishing it. We had experimented with market in Bihar Development Trust (BDT) in weaving , bamboo and agriculture space while struggling towards success. 1000s of families have been trained and engaged in production of incense sticks, weaving fabrics, stoles and sarees and vermicomposting. 1000s of farmers are getting agri-extension and institution building services. BDT won Development Marketplace 2011 organised by the World Bank, The World Bank Institute & IFC. BDT was finalist in Wantrapreneur 2011 organised by Villgro. The preparation for these recognition helped us to survive during darkest period and innovate to find new solutions.It gave us immense exposure through interaction with like minded organisation across India. It exposed us to many for profit organisation doing commendable work in social space and linking the bottom of pyramid to market. We had the market linked approach for our livelihood work from beginning of Bihar Development Trust.The non profit legal architecture has hampered the growth of activities in bamboo and silk. Banks were afraid to offer cash credit for its silk and bamboo operations to BDT for its non profit status. The incense stick value chain and textile business require lot of capital to scale it up. We had founded a for profit company named Rural Development & Marketing Pvt Ltd (RDM) for marketing purpose and scaling up the business by raising equity in the company. The incense stick, vermicompost and silk marketing business are done by RDM. BDT will keep on doing the community mobilisation, capacity building and livelihood promotion work through grants from donor agency. It will not raise any further debt for business purpose. RDM is launching the incense stick brand called "Aradhna" in Jan 2012. Last four months were spent on doing research on Incense stick brand. By learning from existing products, We developed a product with better value proposition for the end consumers. The whole supply chain has been tied up. Besides, We may be the first integrated players in incense stick value chain in East India by virtue of being present at each step of value chain namely Bamboo Plantation, Bamboo Stick, Rolled Stick , Incense Stick and Packaging. RDM has applied for Bihar Industrial Land to Industry Department of Bihar for 90 year lease. The whole incense stick value chain is giving employment to 2 lakh families in Bihar and We hope todouble this number by our effort in Bihar. You will be happy to note that RDM has been one of finalist for Unreasonable Institute Finalist Marketplace (www.unreasonableinstitute.org) for our idea on Incense stick & vermicompost value chain going to improve the livelihoods of one million families in Eastern India over next decade. We would need your financial support to raise 10,000 USD in limited three weeks time for being able to visit the Unreasonable Institute at Colorado in USA so that we can raise the required capital to create value for one million families in sustainable for profit manner. We emerged from 2011 battle bruised but mentally hardened. We are looking for 2012 with new excitement and hope. We are forever indebted to all our friends and well wishers who have supported the idea and helped in transition. The economic development of Bihar is a long unknown path and we will keep creating and walking the path till our life ends. RDM & BDT wishes you all a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012. May the New Year brings good luck to all of you in your endeavours !!! With Best Wishes Dr. Ravi Chandra