Aga Khan Rural Support Programme

Name

Aga Khan Rural Support Programme

Legal name

Aga Khan Rural Support Programme

Website

https://akrsp.org.pk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Irrigation, Water & Energy Efficiency Operations Advisory (AFACAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Permitting, Environmental & Stakeholder Engagement (EIA/ESIA, Community Relations) (EUAMAAAB), Water Rights, Permitting & Compliance Services (Allocations, Reporting) (AFACAFAM)

Keywords

• Rural development services
• Community development programs
• Micro-hydro power generation
• Climate resilience programs
• Women economic empowerment

Headquarters

HQ city

Gilgit

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. International Development Grants and Donations: AKRSP operates primarily as a non-profit organisation funded through grants and donations from international development partners including Global Affairs Canada, European Union, KfW Development Bank, FCDO, and other bilateral and multilateral donors. Revenue is grant-based and programme-focused rather than commercial.
2. Community Utility Revenue (Micro-Hydro): Community-owned utility companies (e.g., Silgan Electric Limited) charge subsidised electricity tariffs aligned with government rates, providing sustainable revenue for plant operations and maintenance while ensuring affordability for households.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AKRSP delivers community-driven rural development programmes across agriculture, education, health, climate resilience, civil society strengthening, and economic empowerment in remote regions of Pakistan. Its portfolio includes 169 community-managed micro-hydro power plants (13,844 kW combined), climate-smart agriculture interventions, women-only markets, school improvement, health and nutrition services, and entrepreneurship support programs such as START Apna Karobar.

Product overview

Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) is a non-profit rural development organization established in 1982, not a technology product company. It operates a portfolio of development programs and projects addressing agriculture, climate resilience, education, health, women's empowerment, and enterprise development. The organization manages multiple donor-funded initiatives including CRASVC, CASI Scale-Up, BEST4WEER, CAPP, SCRIP, BRAVE, SIP, F4HE, RENEW, SNIP, Sehat Ka Safar, and Climate Initiatives. These programs function as development interventions rather than technology products or services. AKRSP also runs the START Apna Karobar entrepreneurship programme and the Madad Electric Cookstove initiative. The organization's approach is community-driven development focused on improving quality of life in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AKRSP: Primary operating name and brand for the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme.

Products and services

• Creating Resilient Agricultural Systems for Vulnerable Communities (CRASVC) A development project focused on building resilient agricultural systems for vulnerable communities, part of AKRSP's broader rural development portfolio.
• Central Asia Stunting Initiative (CASI) Scale-Up A health and nutrition initiative addressing stunting in children across Central Asia regions.
• Energy Plus A five-year initiative focused on energy for climate resilience in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, constructing micro-hydropower plants and establishing renewable energy-powered technological hubs serving approximately 350,000 planned beneficiaries including 171,500 women.
• Broadening Economic and Social Transformation for Women's Economic Empowerment and Recovery (BEST4WEER) A five-year project funded by Global Affairs Canada to improve women's social and economic empowerment during COVID-19 recovery in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, reaching 566,097 people including 494,856 women and adolescent girls.
• Central Asia Poverty Programme (CAPP) A program addressing spatial poverty and improving living conditions in remote high-altitude valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral through infrastructure development and livelihood support.
• Sindh Coastal Resilience Integrated Programme (SCRIP) A two-year initiative strengthening resilience of vulnerable coastal communities in Thatta and Sujawal districts through disaster risk management and sustainable livelihoods.
• Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerability to Emergencies (BRAVE) A project strengthening capacity of climate-vulnerable communities in Astore, Ghizer, and Chitral to anticipate, adapt to, and absorb climate-related hazards.
• School Improvement Programme (SIP) A transformative education initiative enhancing equitable access to quality education in government and community-based schools across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, benefiting 47,717 students.
• Development of Hydropower and Renewable Energy (HRE-II - Biodiversity Component) A biodiversity conservation project strengthening sustainable livelihoods in Hunza and Nagar districts through forest cover enhancement and community-led environmental activities.
• Climate Initiatives (CLI) An initiative addressing climate change challenges through regenerative, climate-smart, and conservation agriculture practices in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
• Foundations for Health & Empowerment (F4HE) A health and empowerment initiative with three components: Foundations for Health, Foundations for Children, and Advancing Gender Equality through Civil Society Strengthening, reaching 40,731 individuals.
• Recovery and Climate Resilience in Flood-Affected Areas of Pakistan (RENEW) A multi-sectoral initiative strengthening disaster preparedness and post-flood recovery in Pakistan's vulnerable coastal and mountainous communities.
• Strengthening Nutrition and Immunization in Pakistan (SNIP) A collaborative initiative improving routine immunization and nutrition outcomes in underserved districts through community-driven strategies.
• Sehat Ka Safar (SKS) A multi-year initiative strengthening reproductive, maternal and adolescent health services in underserved districts of Pakistan.
• Building Resilience of Civil Society and Youth to COVID-19 A four-year project strengthening civil society capacity, supporting local enterprises, and enhancing youth engagement to mitigate COVID-19 socio-economic impacts.
• START Apna Karobar Programme A flagship entrepreneurship promotion initiative providing training, pitch competitions, and microgrants (Rs250,000-350,000) to aspiring entrepreneurs, implemented under BEST4WEER; trained 3,611 individuals and awarded 578 microgrants.
• Madad Electric Cookstove (MEC) Project A five-year initiative distributing 50,000 clean, energy-efficient cookstoves powered by renewable hydroelectricity in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, in partnership with Third Pole Solutions; expected to achieve 723,200 tCO2e emission reduction over five years.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27,924 tCO2e carbon sequestered through interventions
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tech AlphalogixcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 16 November 2025Partner for Coalition of Employers (CoE) Convention and Future of Work ecosystem development in IT and digital services sectors.
• Third Pole SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Partnership for Madad Electric Cookstove (MEC) Project to distribute 50,000 energy-efficient cookstoves powered by hydroelectricity in electricity-surplus areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Expected to achieve 723,200 tCO2e emission reduction over five years.
• Karakoram International University (KIU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2025Strategic partnership for research opportunities, student and scholar development, and socio-economic research under EU-funded Building Resilience of Civil Society and Youth initiative.
• Government of PakistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for rural development programmes across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, including infrastructure development and policy support.
• Government of Gilgit-BaltistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partnership for development interventions across all districts of GB including education, health, infrastructure, and climate resilience programmes.
• Government of Khyber PakhtunkhwacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with KPK government for development programmes in Chitral districts.
• Government of SindhcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for coastal resilience and development programmes in Thatta and Sujawal districts of Sindh.
• Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent network providing institutional support, co-funding for Climate Initiatives (CLI), School Improvement Programme (SIP), and other integrated development initiatives across multiple agencies.
• Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead implementing agency for EU-funded COVID-19 resilience project and consortium partner for multiple programmes including BRAVE, Energy Plus, and SNIP.
• Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan (AKF-P)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for RENEW project focused on flood recovery and climate resilience.
• Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsortium partner for BRAVE and RENEW projects, contributing expertise in habitat planning and disaster risk reduction.
• Aga Khan Health Services Pakistan (AKHS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHealth implementation partner for RENEW, F4HE, SNIP, and Sehat Ka Safar projects.
• Aga Khan University (AKU)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAcademic partner for health, education, and research components across multiple projects including RENEW, F4HE, SNIP, and Sehat Ka Safar.
• Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCivil society development partner for EU-funded project, providing organisational capacity building and compliance support.
• Concern WorldwidecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead consortium partner for BRAVE project with expertise in climate resilience and humanitarian response.
• Accelerate Prosperity (AP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnterprise development partner under Energy Plus project for supporting entrepreneurship and business development in energy-surplus areas.
• Serena HotelscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical partner for hospitality management training and employer-led training partner providing employment opportunities for trained youth under CAPP and Future of Work initiatives.
• Tibet Baltistan Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts council partner for producing locally recorded dramas and media content addressing social issues including women's rights, early marriage, and domestic violence under BEST4WEER.
• Professional Development Centre North (PDCN)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducation and professional development partner for RENEW project.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-based rural support organisation founded on the same Aga Khan-inspired community-driven development model. SRSP is directly comparable to AKRSP's Chitral operations in KPK and operates similar micro-hydro, enterprise, and livelihoods programmes.
• National Rural Support Programme (NRSP): Pakistan's largest rural support programme operating across multiple provinces with a nearly identical community-driven development model. NRSP serves as the closest direct peer to AKRSP given the shared methodology (social mobilisation, community organisations, micro-hydro and enterprise development) and overlapping donor pool.
• Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP): Sindh-focused rural development NGO implementing community-driven interventions in Tharparkar and surrounding districts. Directly comparable as AKRSP has just expanded into Sindh (2024), making TRDP a benchmark for operating model, beneficiary mix, and climate resilience focus.
• Concern Worldwide: Lead consortium partner on AKRSP's BRAVE climate resilience programme. Concern Worldwide runs comparable rural livelihoods, climate adaptation, and emergency response programmes in similar fragile geographies, making it a strong operational peer.

Emerging players

• BRAC International: Large South Asia-based NGO pioneering community-driven approaches to poverty alleviation, microfinance, and enterprise development. BRAC's graduation approach to livelihoods is conceptually adjacent to AKRSP's enterprise and women's empowerment programming at scale.

Broad incumbents

• Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS): Sister AKDN agency providing primary health services and community health programmes across the same northern Pakistan geographies. Health implementation partner on RENEW, F4HE, SNIP, and Sehat Ka Safar projects alongside AKRSP.
• Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan (AKF-P): Lead implementing agency for several AKRSP programmes including EU-funded COVID-19 resilience and RENEW. Operates as both parent-adjacent and implementing peer across education, health, civil society, and rural development in AKRSP's geographies.
• UNDP Pakistan: UN agency operating extensive community resilience, climate adaptation, and livelihoods programmes across Pakistan, often in overlapping geographies with AKRSP. Serves as both potential competitor and coordination counterpart in donor consortia.
• Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH): Sister agency within the Aga Khan Development Network focused on habitat improvement, water and sanitation, and disaster risk reduction in the same geographies. AKAH is a consortium partner on AKRSP's BRAVE and RENEW programmes and operates overlapping rural infrastructure portfolios.
• Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF): Federal apex institution for community-driven poverty alleviation in Pakistan, funding and partnering with many of the same rural support programmes. PPAF serves as both a funder and an overarching peer body to AKRSP's rural development operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akrsppakistan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aga-khan-rural-support-programme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aga Khan Rural Support Programme