Vol 5, Issue 1, 2025

COMMUNIQUÉ

Welcome to the latest issue of Communique. The launch of a pioneering report on International Earth Day marked the second quarter of the year. Read on to learn about our latest initiatives, key accomplishments, updates on existing projects, collaborations, events, and more.

Special Report: Bamboo Report for Viksit Bharat 2047

A team of Bharti Institute of Public Policy led by Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, presented a comprehensive report titled, 'Bamboo for Viksit Bharat 2047: A Roadmap for Sustainable Industrial Futures.' The report was released at the prestigious 'Save the Earth Conclave 2025: Bamboo for a Resilient Future', by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Government of India. The report presents a comprehensive roadmap to reposition bamboo as a strategic resource for green industrialisation and inclusive growth. The report further emphasises bamboo’s strategic value as a natural asset and vehicle for green industrial transformation, rural prosperity, and climate resilience.

Dignitaries present at the event included Bhagirath Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India; Suresh Prabhu, Chairman of the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) and former Minister of Commerce & Industry; Pasha Patel, Executive Chairman of the Task Force for Environment and Sustainable Development, Government of Maharashtra, and others.

UPDATES ON EXISTING PROJECTS

Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE)

The IoFE has its living laboratories—regionally embedded, expansive demonstration sites, showcasing the transformative potential of forests in driving positive socio-economic change across Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Maharashtra.

Strategic Partnership to Boost Forest-Based Economy in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand: An MoU was signed between the District Administration of West Singhbhum, Government of Jharkhand and the Indian School of Business’s Bharti Institute of Public Policy, to develop a sustainable and inclusive forest-based economy in the district. This three-year collaboration aims to transform the socio-economic conditions of forest-dependent women and communities while ensuring ecological sustainability through innovative enterprise development and technology integration. The partnership focuses on empowering women leaders from forest-dependent communities by facilitating the formation of Producer Companies that will serve as vehicles for collective action and market engagement in forest-based value chains. As part of this collaboration, the team of IoFE will lead key interventions: i. Forest inventory and cluster identification using advanced technologies like satellite imagery and machine learning; ii. Women’s leadership mobilisation; iii. structured capacity building programmes covering business operations and governance frameworks; iv. Facilitating direct industrial market linkages to ensure fair returns for producers.
The District Administration will provide crucial institutional support by coordinating among relevant government departments, supporting community mobilisation through local governance structures, extending infrastructure support for enterprise operations, including processing centres and digital tools, and ensuring policy facilitation for smooth implementation.
A dedicated Project Management Unit will be established with quarterly progress reviews conducted by a joint steering committee to ensure effective coordination and monitoring of project activities.
Sulabhaa Green Business Enterprise Leadership Cohort Launched in Odisha: As part of its objectives, the IoFE supports community-led enterprises to scale the formalisation of Seasonal Forest Product (SFP) value chains. In this regard, the team achieved a significant milestone with the launch of the Sulabhaa Green Business Enterprise Leadership Cohort. Consequently, the Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, conducted three inaugural orientation workshops in Bhubaneswar. The programme aims to establish 30 forest-based Green Shakti Producer Companies (GSPCs) across six districts in Odisha.
At the heart of this initiative is a remarkable network of 300 women leaders who will serve as the Board of Directors for these Producer Companies, representing an inspiring blend of experienced community leaders and first-time formal leaders. The cohort includes women who have previously served as village sarpanches, ward members, Self Help Group leads, Producer Group leaders, Krushi Mitras, and small-scale entrepreneurs, while for many others, this marks their inaugural step into formal leadership roles.
The comprehensive orientation workshops provided these women leaders with essential training on producer company fundamentals and business operations, covering critical areas such as profit and loss management, bookkeeping, sustainable harvesting practices, processing techniques, and marketing strategies. The sessions facilitated unprecedented collaboration across blocks, creating valuable opportunities for peer learning, feedback exchange, and joint planning for enterprise growth, with entire boards working together for the first time. Following the workshops, the Board of Directors initiated shareholder drives to onboard SFP primary collectors, conducting community meetings, coordinating with Gram Panchayats and block officials, and implementing insights gained from the training.
Sulabhaa's Community Enterprises Complete First Karanj Sale to Terviva
Three women-led Green Shakti Producer Companies in Odisha achieved a groundbreaking milestone by completing their first collective sale of Karanj seeds directly to Terviva, a global company specialising in sustainable oils. This historic transaction marks a significant step toward formalising forest-based economies and empowering women-led community enterprises in the state. The sale involved Producer Companies from Malkangiri, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj districts, with women leaders successfully collecting, aggregating, and selling over 1,600 kg of Karanj seeds at ₹35 per kilogram.
Green Shakti Producer Companies Achieve Major Success with Sal Seed Sale to AAK India
The Green Shakti Producer Companies under the Sulabhaa Initiative have achieved another significant milestone with the successful dispatch of Sal seeds totalling over 37,880 kg to AAK India Pvt. Ltd.'s Raipur factory across two major transactions. This accomplishment represents a combined transaction value of approximately ₹11.95 lakh, demonstrating the growing commercial viability of forest-based community enterprises and the increasing market confidence in products sourced directly from women-led Producer Companies.
The success of these Sal seed sales, following the earlier Karanj seed transactions, establishes a strong foundation for sustainable forest-based value chains that directly benefit women-led communities while ensuring quality supply to industrial partners.
Sona Buru Jungle Producer Company Achieves Remarkable Success with Sal Seed Sales in Jharkhand
Sona Buru Jungle Producer Company has demonstrated exceptional efficiency and scale in forest produce aggregation by successfully dispatching two truckloads of Sal seeds weighing 38.15 MT to AAK India's seed processing facilities. The first dispatch of 24.5 MT was aggregated within just one week from 44 villages and sent to the company’s Bilaspur facility, generating a transaction value of INR 7,53,838 inclusive of GST. This was followed by a second truckload of 13.6 MT dispatched to AAK's Raipur facility, valued at INR 4,39,432, bringing the total transaction value to approximately INR 11.93 lakh.
The pricing achieved by the Producer Company represents a significant improvement for forest-dependent communities from the previous year. This price enhancement demonstrates the value of direct market linkages and collective bargaining power that Producer Companies can leverage for their members.

Advanced Forest Mapping Training for officials of the Forest Department, Government of Himachal Pradesh
The Initiative on the Forest Economy team conducted a comprehensive two-day training programme on herbaceous species mapping for forest guards and officials from Palampur Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. The training, held at the Forest Complex in Bir Forest Range, Palampur, brought together 26 participants including the Divisional Chief Forest Officer, Assistant Chief Forest Officer, Block Officers, Forest Guards, Range Officers, and Van Mitrs from Baijnath, Bir, and Palampur Forest Ranges, along with six IoFE team members led by Abhijeet Parmar, Chief Sustainability Scientist, Bharti Institute of Public Policy.

Leadership Training for the Pir Panjal Jungle Producer Company in Himachal Pradesh
The Pir Panjal Jungle Producer Company (PPJPC) in Pangi conducted a transformative two-day residential training programme at Kilar, focusing on strengthening leadership capabilities and governance structures of the women-led forest enterprise. The training brought together over 40 women participants, including Board of Directors (members) and Producer Group leaders, with Dr. Advaita Rajendra from IIM Sirmaur serving as the key resource person alongside field teams from Pangi and Lahaul, and IoFE team members.
The comprehensive training curriculum covered essential aspects of forest economy principles, sustainability and inclusiveness concepts, and legal frameworks, including Forest Rights Act provisions, 5th Schedule, and PESA regulations. The training programme also focussed on examining community enterprises through a gender lens, addressing critical issues affecting women in the region, including domestic violence, property rights, and wage equality, alongside business operations.
Marking another significant milestone, the Pir Panjal Jungle Producer Company (PPJPC) is conducting its inaugural Annual General Meeting, in Kilar, Pangi, with an impressive attendance of over 350 shareholders representing 24 Producer Groups. The event also drew participation from the Gram Panchayat, Block Development Committee, and Mandal Mitra representatives from various villages, demonstrating strong community support for the women-led forest enterprise. The successful AGM reflects the growing maturity and sustainability of this pioneering forest-based enterprise in Himachal Pradesh.

Indian Food Systems for Improved Nutrition – Policy Support Research Facility for advancing India’s agriculture-nutrition convergence agenda (INFUSION)

As part of this initiative, currently running its operations in Bihar, a training programme was held for the Cluster Level Federation (CLF) members on the formation of the Didi Haat Management Committee (DHMC). The programme highlighted the role of leaders as custodians of the Jeevika Didi Haat, while outlining key elements of sustainable business operations of the haat. At the same time, renovation work is also underway at the Jeevika Didi Haat, Telhara (Ekangarsarai). Didi Haat is expected to be formally launched soon after the completion of the ongoing renovation works, with the required amenities and facilities for its successful business operations.
A trial run led by the principal investigator of INFUSION was also conducted, along with an interactive session with key stakeholders during the Gates Foundation’s officials’ visit to the premises.
The team of INFUSION held a meeting with Himanshu Sharma, CEO, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) in Patna, along with the BMGF team and other stakeholders.
The team also facilitated a capacity building programme for the Community Nutrition Resource Persons (CNRPs), focusing on weekly demand creation activities at the Jeevika Didi Haat.

Meghalaya District Research Fellowship (MDRF) Programme

During the visit of Chief Minister Conrad  Sangma at the launch of synthetic turf at Rongrenggre, the cohort coordinated and supported the “CM‑Connect” session and exhibition match.
The cohort of fellows also accompanied the principal secretary, government of Meghalaya and the Harvard Growth Lab team on a field visit to West Jaintia Hills for the Lakadong turmeric farms. A Community interaction programme was held, which was attended by the cohort along with the Deputy Commissioner and representatives of various communities. The fellows also assisted the deputy commissioner during his visit to the Kyrdem PHC.
Data Collection and Analysis: The cohort collected and submitted data on the Central -Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission 2.0 (MSAM) schemes to the Deputy Commissioner, alongside the Fisheries Officials.

Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship (MLRF) Programme

Under this initiative, a joint partnership between MLRF and MDRF to work on the Constituency Development Plan (CDP) was forged. Training sessions were held for both cohorts by the teams of Bharti Institute of Public Policy along with Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG). Convergence meetings with deputy commissioners of all districts to apprise them of the CDPs and data collection were also conducted.
Sessions were also held to familiarise features of DC Connect in Meghalaya One Portal to be launched in the state for the District Commissioner and officials of the Planning Department and the fellows of both cohorts.

Platform for Development Research and Communications

Under this initiative, post-production work on all six volumes of books: Climate Action and Justice; Improving Learning Outcomes in Schools; Institutional Challenges in the Last Mile of Social Development; and Improved Nutritional Outcomes, to be published by Routledge, is in its final stages of completion. The fliers for these volumes are now available on the Routledge Publishers UK website.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

At the Save the Earth Conclave 2025, Prof. Ashwini Chhatre participated in a panel discussion, 'Implementation – Policies, Governance, and Future Roadmap’.
Prof. Ashwini Chhatre moderated a panel discussion on effective economic policymaking at the Data Users’ Conference, jointly organised by the Institute of Data Science (IIDS), Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business, and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (GoIStats MoSPI), Government of India.

Prof. Anjal Prakash spoke at the inaugural session at the Save the Earth Conclave 2025, titled 'Recognising Visionary Leadership in Sustainability,' where he presented his insights on the escalating impacts of climate change in India.
Dr. Aarushi Jain, Edward S. Mason Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education and Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, led the team to win the first prize in the 'AI for Good' Hackathon’, organised as part of the Road to GEM – Global Empowerment Meeting, Catalysing AI for Inclusive Change by the Centre for International Development, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, Harvard University.

On World Environment Day, Prof. Anjal Prakash participated in a fireside chat hosted by Sai Life Sciences Ltd., Hyderabad.
Prof. Anjal Prakash participated as a key speaker in the second edition of the India Climate Summit organised by the Times Group in New Delhi.

Team members of the Initiative on the Forest Economy, including national coordinator Sandip Chowdhury, state coordinator Kamini Singh, and consultant Satya Prasanna, met with MLA from Gandey constituency in Jharkhand Kalpana Soren and former MLA and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) spokesperson Kunal Sarangi to explore opportunities for unlocking the potential of the forest economy in Jharkhand.

Dr. Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, was invited to deliver the keynote address at the, 'Human Capital for Viksit Bharat,' workshop with a focus on 'Higher Education: Knowledge Economy', organised by Government of Goa in Panaji. Dr. Jain also delivered an expert talk on 'Policies for World-Class Education'. She participated in a panel discussion on fostering a 'Culture of World-Class Research and Innovation', and 'Capacity Building of Faculty'.

Research Publication & Blogs

Prof. Anjal Prakash co-authored a research paper, 'Socio-hydrological frameworks for adaptive governance: addressing climate uncertainty in South Asia,' along with Ritwick George, Research Assistant, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, and Anamika Barua, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, published in the Frontiers in Water journal.
Prof. Anjal Prakash authored a research paper, 'Bridging the Gap: Promoting Gender Equity in Climate Change Adaptation in the Global South,' published in PLOS Climate.
Dr. Nikhat Khalid, Research Fellow, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, published a chapter, 'The Economic Impacts of India's Gig Economy: Navigating Productivity, Inequality, and Market Dynamics,' in the edited volume of the book, 'Immersive Technology for the Gig Economy: Transformative Business Practices by IGI Global.'
Prof. Anjal Prakash co-authored a research paper, ‘Confronting Challenges and Opportunities in Climate Policy and Governance, published in PLOS Climate.
Satyajit Naik, an alumnus of the Advanced Management Programme (Public Policy), authored a Policy Paper titled “An Analysis of Naxal Insurgency in Odisha: A Multi-faceted Approach”, published by the Bharti Institute of Public Policy as part of its Public Policy series.
Bharti Institute of Public Policy published over 25 blogs on various topics touching upon the various facets of the policy landscape of India. Read here

Bharti Institute in News

Bharti Institute of Public Policy is regularly featured in news across national and vernacular media for its various projects and initiatives, book launches and events. Below are some of the representative clippings of articles published in this quarter.

TEAM IN NEWS

Prof. Anjal Prakash published an op-ed titled 'India Is Using Water As A Strategic Weapon, This Will Cut Off Pakistan's Lifeblood.’ Read here.

Prof. Anjal Prakash published an op-ed on Pakistan losing agriculture over India’s stand on the Indus River water. Read here.

Dr. Aarushi Jain, along with her team at Harvard University, was featured in The Shillong Times for their innovative solution- Meghalaya E-Governance Human-Centred Assistance (MEGHA), designed to bridge information asymmetry and digital-literacy barriers for rural citizens. Read here.

Prof. Anjal Prakash co-authored and published an article titled ‘Milking the Green Revolution: Transforming Dairy Packaging for a Sustainable Future,' exploring the packaging crisis in India’s dairy sector, published in Forbes. Read here.

Prof. Anjal Prakash published an article, titled 'Massive glacier collapse buries Swiss village, residents say everything lost,' providing insights into the potential role of climate change in such eventualities. Read here.

In an Op-Ed, 'Dissecting the myth of China’s control over the Brahmaputra,' and an interview, 'Is India’s Water Blockade the Death Knell Pakistan Doesn’t See Coming?' Prof. Anjal Prakash discussed the geopolitical use of water as a strategic tool or perceived threat.

In an interview published in The Times of India, Prof. Anjal Prakash discussed the growing strategic and environmental significance of water resources in South Asia, particularly in the context of climate change.

About Bharti Institute of Public Policy

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy is an integral part of the Indian School of Business. Functioning as an independent think-tank, the institute engages with policymakers by providing them with critical, evidence-based public policy analysis rooted in data. The institute addresses policy challenges across diverse domains, primarily in Agriculture and Food, Environment, Education, Financial Policy, Governance, and Digital Identity.

Call for Working Papers & Research Blogs

It is for the relentless dedication of our amazing team that Bharti Institute keeps scaling new heights and flourishing even when times get pandemically tough. We thank our researchers, associates, managers, writers, and coordinators for their contribution and noteworthy effort to Bharti Institute’s innovative programmes, change-oriented collaborations, and dynamic pursuits. Miles to go together!

Compiled by: Smriti Sharma