Development Alternatives

Name

Development Alternatives

Legal name

Society for Development Alternatives

Website

https://devalt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Development Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Engineering & Public Works Technical Assistance (WASH/Transport/Energy) (BPADAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adult Literacy, Numeracy & Second-Chance Education (BPADAKAF), Siting, Resource Assessment & Environmental Tech R&D (Remote Sensing, Wake Modeling, Wildlife Mitigation) (EUAMAOAJ), Waste Management & Smart Sanitation (Facilities) (HSAPAPAM)

Keywords

• Sustainable development services
• Appropriate technology solutions
• Rural livelihood programmes
• Clean energy solutions
• Green building materials

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project-based Development Work: DA implements development projects funded by various donors including government agencies, international foundations, and corporate partners. Revenue comes through grants and project implementation fees.
2. Social Enterprise Revenue: The organization operates social enterprises through the TARA Group that generate revenue from technology products and services including TARA Machines, TARAenviro, and related entities.
3. Donations and Philanthropic Support: The organization receives donations and charitable contributions for specific campaigns such as women empowerment, environmental restoration, and farmer support initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Development Alternatives designs and implements sustainable development programmes and appropriate technology solutions for rural India. Its core offerings span ICT-based adult literacy (TARA Akshar+), women-led decentralized energy enterprises (Urja Mandala), solar micro-utilities (Smart Power for Rural Development), water purification research (PANI-WATER), fly ash brick and compressed earth building technologies, and platforms for rural entrepreneurship and social innovation (TAP-RISE, udyaME, Work4Progress).

Product overview

Development Alternatives operates as a portfolio of integrated development programmes and appropriate technology solutions rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include TARA Akshar+ (ICT-based adult literacy programme), WE-LEAD (women's empowerment through digitalization), Smart Power for Rural Development (solar micro-utilities), Urja Mandala (women-led decentralised energy enterprises), Work4Progress (social innovation platform), TAP-RISE (technology acceleration platform), and udyaME (entrepreneurial support platform). These are complemented by green technology products including TARA Chulha (improved cookstoves), TARA Balram Mudblock Press, Micro Concrete Roofing, and Fly Ash Brick Technology. The organisation also maintains demonstration centers like TARAgram and implements sector-specific programmes across Waste Management, Water Solutions, Green Energy, Sustainable Agriculture, Human Settlements, Climate Response, Decent Work, and Empowering Communities. Key affiliated entities include TARA, TARA Machines & Tech Services Pvt Ltd, TARAenviro, IMEDF, and TARAgram.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TARA Akshar+: ICT-based Adult Functional Literacy Programme for women
• TARAgram Yatra
• Radio Bundelkhand
• TARA Chulha
• Urja Mandala
• WE-LEAD
• udyaME
• PANI-WATER
• TAP-RISE

Products and services

• TARA Akshar+ Adult Literacy Programme ICT-based adult functional literacy programme for rural and peri-urban women that combines digital literacy, financial literacy, and skill development; has made approximately 2.4 lakh women functionally literate.
• TARA Balram Mudblock Press Compressed earth block press technology that uses no firing, no cement, and no industrial supply chain, enabling construction of durable, low-cost housing from local materials.
• TARA Chulha Improved Cookstove Improved cookstove technology that reduces biomass consumption and indoor air pollution, reducing respiratory health hazards and biomass-gathering burden for rural households.
• Micro Concrete Roofing Energy-efficient and eco-friendly roofing technology for durable, cost-effective housing construction using micro concrete roofing tiles.
• Fly Ash Brick Technology Technology that converts thermal power plant waste (fly ash) into high-quality building material, creating 8-15 local jobs per enterprise; deployed across 510+ enterprises in Bihar with 13.7% market share.
• C&D Waste Utilization Technology Construction & Demolition waste processing technology for manufacturing paver blocks, tiles, and concrete products, supporting circular economy and resource efficiency.
• Smart Power for Rural Development (SPRD) Programme that delivers electricity through decentralised solar micro grids in energy-deficient regions, with focus on local economic development and social inclusion for off-grid rural communities.
• Urja Mandala Decentralised Energy Enterprises Women-led, community-governed decentralised energy enterprises operating across eight sites in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, providing renewable energy solutions for rural micro-enterprises.
• PANI-WATER Research Project Research project developing prototypes to remove Contaminants of Emerging Concerns such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and nanoparticles from drinking water and wastewater.
• WE-LEAD Women Empowerment Programme Women Empowerment through Livelihoods, Entrepreneurship and Access through Digitalisation; aims to empower 2,400 girls and women in Jhajjar district of Haryana by leveraging digital technology.
• Work4Progress (W4P) Social Innovation Platform Open social innovation platform for creating new employment opportunities, operating with civil society organisations, financing institutions, research and technology agencies; supported by 'la Caixa' Foundation.
• TAP-RISE Technology Acceleration Platform Technology Acceleration Platform for Rural Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship that connects technology developers, enterprise ecosystem actors, and grassroots organisations.
• udyaME Entrepreneurial Support Platform End-to-end entrepreneurial support platform providing personalised mentoring to strategic market access for rural entrepreneurs.
• District Entrepreneurship Coalitions (DEC) Initiative that brings together banks, government departments, skilling institutions, market actors, and civil society to address systemic barriers and strengthen inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems at the district level.
• MaS-SHIP Policy and Decision Support Tool Policy and decision support tool that enables social housing developers to integrate environmental performance, affordability, and social inclusion into housing project design.
• TARAgram Appropriate Technology Demonstration Village India's first appropriate technology demonstration village established in 1995, bringing technology, community governance, ecological design, and enterprise viability into one place on the banks of the Betwa in Madhya Pradesh.
• Ecotourism Livelihood Programme Tourism-based livelihood project aligning conservation and livelihood agendas in Himalayan states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, developing rural ecotourism models.
• Skills to Livelihood Programme Skill development and training programmes that connect rural educated-unemployed youth with the mainstream job market through skilling, apprenticeships, and job placement.
• DESI Power Biomass Gasifier India's first decentralised biomass power plant, generating electricity from local biomass for surrounding communities.
• TARA Eco Kiln (Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln) Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln technology that became one of the first bundled Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) registered projects in India, enabling cleaner and more efficient brick production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5 lakh people made aware on health, nutrition, WASH, agriculture through Radio Bundelkhand
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Smart Power India (SPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create an enabling ecosystem for rural solar energy transition by partnering with various private and public actors in the business ecosystem.
• Alliance to End Plastic Waste IncmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting the Nirmal Agra Project for integrated waste management to improve plastic waste collection, transportation, segregation, and processing in Agra.
• HCL FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative 'Humare Talab Humari Pehchan' to strengthen and restore pond ecosystems in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting cleaner brick production initiatives in Bihar through introduction of fly ash brick technology and resource-efficient building materials.
• Bihar State Pollution Control BoardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple initiatives including fly ash brick promotion and C&D waste utilization across Bihar's geography.
• National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanctioned tourism-based livelihood project for conservation and livelihood agenda in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Fundacion ISSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject focused on safe mobility for rural women in India by leveraging networks to support women e-rickshaw entrepreneurs.
• RCSI, IrelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization for PANI-WATER project developing prototypes to remove Contaminants of Emerging Concerns from drinking water and wastewater.
• NEERI, NagpurmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead organization for PANI-WATER project on water purification technology development.
• Heinrich Böll FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting urban water system management project in tier 2 and 3 Indian cities.
• National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge partner for urban water management workshops and dialogue facilitation.
• University of Copenhagen, DenmarkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for Integrated Water Resource Assessment of Ahar River Basin in Udaipur district.
• Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridge 2 Livelihood programme for skills training and employment support.
• Agra Nagar NigammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal MoU signed for Nirmal Agra Project on integrated waste management.
• Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation (HESCO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under TIME LEARN programme for eco-friendly construction technologies in Uttarakhand.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Barefoot College: Barefoot College trains rural women as solar engineers and practitioners of appropriate technology, sharing DA's community-led, technology-plus-livelihood approach. Both organisations operate demonstration campuses (Barefoot College campus vs. DA's TARAgram) and deploy appropriate technology at the last mile.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: BAIF Development Research Foundation delivers integrated rural development spanning livestock, agriculture, natural resource management, and livelihoods across India. Like DA, BAIF operates a portfolio of programmes with multi-state reach and community-based delivery models.
• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): PRADAN operates across rural India promoting livelihoods for women and marginalised communities through self-help groups, agriculture, and micro-enterprise. DA and PRADAN overlap strongly on rural livelihood programmes, women's empowerment, and small farmer interventions in central India.
• SELCO India / SELCO Foundation: SELCO India provides decentralised solar energy solutions to underserved rural households and MSMEs, closely paralleling DA's Smart Power for Rural Development and Urja Mandala programmes. Both organisations blend technology deployment with financing and livelihood linkages for energy-poor communities in India.

Broad incumbents

• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): TERI is a larger, well-established Indian research and policy institution working on energy, environment, and sustainable development. While broader in mandate and more policy-focused than DA, TERI overlaps on renewable energy, climate resilience, and resource efficiency themes.
• Grameen Foundation: Grameen Foundation is a global non-profit focused on poverty alleviation through microfinance, digital financial services, and livelihoods, overlapping with DA's enterprise development and financial inclusion programmes for rural poor communities.
• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): SEWA is a large Indian trade union and women's empowerment organisation mobilising informal sector women across livelihoods, finance, and capacity building. SEWA and DA share the women-led, grassroots empowerment orientation across Indian states.

Emerging players

• Digital Green: Digital Green builds ICT-enabled extension and training systems for smallholder farmers, paralleling DA's TARA Akshar+ ICT-based adult literacy and digital farmer advisory work via community-led video and digital platforms.
• Trickle Up: Trickle Up operates extreme poverty graduation programmes for women in rural India and other geographies, intersecting with DA's livelihoods, financial literacy, and women empowerment work, though with a narrower graduation-focused model.
• Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP): SSP is an Indian non-profit focused on women's empowerment, clean energy access, climate-resilient agriculture, and water security in drought-prone Maharashtra and beyond, closely overlapping with DA's WE-LEAD, Urja Mandala, and WADI programmes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DAperspectives
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DevaltDelhi
• Facebookfacebook.com/DevaltOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/development-alternatives
• Instagraminstagram.com/developmentalternatives/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Development Alternatives