Action for Food Production, New Delhi

What Action for Food Production, New Delhi does

Action for Food Production (AFPRO) is a socio-technical development organization founded in the 1960s in response to severe droughts affecting western and central India. Registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 as a non-profit society headquartered in New Delhi, AFPRO delivers programs across five focal areas: Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; Watershed Management and Natural Resource Management; Climate Change and Renewable Energy. It reaches small and marginal farmers, landless rural populations, and tribal communities across multiple Indian states through six regional offices (New Delhi, Raipur, Ahmednagar, Hyderabad, Lanjigarh, Guwahati) and a staff of approximately 59.

AFPRO's core technical portfolio consists of three proprietary engineering innovations designed for low-cost rural implementation: the Deenbandhu 2000 Model Biogas Plants for rural renewable energy, Bamboo Double Leach Pit Sanitary Latrines engineered for high-rainfall hilly terrain in North-Eastern India, and cement-based Artificial Reefs sunk in coastal waters to enhance traditional fisheries. Beyond physical infrastructure, the organization maintains a Knowledge Centre that curates publications, training modules, technical papers, and SOPs. Its delivery model combines direct field implementation by trained community-based organizations with multi-stakeholder partnerships.

AFPRO's revenue model is structured around three streams: corporate CSR funding (partnerships with Vedanta, ITC, EdelGive, BCI, Mondelez, Bayer, Mahindra, Pernod Ricard, UBL, Bajaj, LIC, LDC, and others), institutional donations and grants, and foreign contributions regulated under FCRA (including GIZ and IDH). As a non-profit, AFPRO does not charge beneficiaries for services and publishes audited FCRA accounts and annual reports. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, anchored in decades-long participatory relationships with marginalized rural populations and sustained engagement with corporate funders seeking measurable CSR impact in agriculture, water security, and rural livelihoods.

Name

Action for Food Production, New Delhi

Legal name

Action for Food Production

Website

https://afpro.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Action for Food Production (AFPRO) is a New Delhi-based non-profit development organization founded in the 1960s that delivers socio-technical programs in agriculture, water, sanitation, watershed management, and climate change to small farmers, tribal, and landless rural communities across India through CSR and grant-funded projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Rural development programs
• Watershed management services
• Agricultural development initiatives
• Water sanitation hygiene
• Community development projects

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate CSR Partnerships: AFPRO receives funding from corporate partners under their Corporate Social Responsibility programs to implement development projects in agriculture, water, sanitation, and environmental sectors.
2. Donations and Grants: The organization accepts donations from individuals and institutions, with refund policies and tax exemption certificates available for donors.
3. International Funding: AFPRO receives foreign contributions as per FCRA regulations, with detailed audited FCRA accounts published for transparency.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AFPRO is a non-profit socio-technical development organization that implements rural development programs across Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Watershed Management/Natural Resource Management, and Climate Change and Renewable Energy. It develops low-cost proprietary innovations (Deenbandhu biogas plants, bamboo latrines, artificial reefs) and delivers capacity-building, training, and resource management interventions to poor and marginalized communities throughout India.

Product overview

Action for Food Production (AFPRO) is a socio-technical development organization that provides socio-technical support in four focal areas: Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Watershed Management/Natural Resource Management, and Climate Change and Renewable Energy. AFPRO offers a portfolio of technical innovations including the Deenbandhu 2000 Model Biogas Plants for rural renewable energy, Bamboo Double Leach Pit Sanitary Latrines for sanitation in hilly terrain, and Artificial Reefs in Coastal Waters for fishing community support. Additionally, AFPRO operates a Knowledge Centre that disseminates insights through publications, training programmes, and a library of technical resources. These offerings are development programs and innovations rather than commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deenbandhu 2000 Model Biogas Plants

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully implemented water harvesting structures across operational areas with measurable increase in water storage capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EdelGive FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor strategic partner supporting AFPRO's development programs. The EdelGive-AFPRO partnership focuses on livelihood enhancement, water conservation, and community development projects in various districts.
• Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for implementing BCI project with cotton farmers, providing training in sustainable cotton cultivation practices and improving farmer livelihoods.
• Vedanta LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR partnership with Vedanta for development projects including water harvesting, skill training, and community development in Odisha and other operational areas.
• ITC LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ITC for sustainable agriculture and watershed management projects, including desiltation work in Washim district and other agricultural development initiatives.
• BayerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting development initiatives in agriculture and related sectors.
• IDH (Sustainable Trade Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development partner supporting sustainable trade and agricultural initiatives.
• Mahindra & MahindraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR partnership for rural development and agricultural projects.
• Pernod Ricard IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR partner for development initiatives.
• United Breweries Limited (UBL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR partner for community development projects.
• Bajaj GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR partnership for rural development initiatives.
• English GrayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for development projects.
• LDC (Louis Dreyfus Company)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural commodity trading company supporting sustainable agriculture projects.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman development agency partnership for climate change, renewable energy, and sustainable development projects.
• Mondelez InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSR partner for cocoa life and sustainable agriculture programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): PRADAN is one of India's largest grassroots development NGOs promoting livelihoods among rural poor through agriculture, watershed, and women's self-help group programs. It is directly comparable to AFPRO on rural community mobilization, agriculture-based livelihoods, and watershed management across multiple Indian states.
• MYRADA: MYRADA is an Indian development NGO working on rural livelihoods, watershed management, and institutional development of community-based organizations. It is directly comparable to AFPRO on the community-led development model and rural program delivery across multiple Indian states.
• SELCO Foundation: SELCO Foundation focuses on decentralized renewable energy and sustainable livelihoods for underserved Indian communities. It is directly comparable to AFPRO's Deenbandhu biogas and climate/renewable energy focus area.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: BAIF is a pan-India development organization focused on livestock development, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, and renewable energy for rural communities. It is highly comparable to AFPRO across watershed, agriculture, and renewable energy themes, with comparable national office and field program structure.
• DHAN Foundation: DHAN Foundation works on rainfed agriculture, water, and community development with a strong community organization focus in India. It shares AFPRO's socio-technical approach to rural development, watershed management, and small/marginal farmer programs.
• Gram Vikas: Gram Vikas focuses on water, sanitation, and renewable energy in tribal and rural areas of India. It is directly comparable to AFPRO on the WASH and renewable energy focal areas, particularly in tribal geographies.

Emerging players

• Trickle Up: Trickle Up works on extreme poverty alleviation through livelihood graduation programs with rural ultra-poor households in India and other countries. It intersects with AFPRO's small/marginal farmer and landless community segments, though with a different methodology.
• Digital Green: Digital Green uses video-based agricultural extension to improve farmer livelihoods in India and other developing countries. It is an emerging player in the agriculture extension and small farmer capacity-building space where AFPRO also operates.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Trusts (rural development programs): Tata Trusts run large-scale rural development and livelihood programs across India, including water, agriculture, and skilling. It is a broader incumbent in the same rural development sector as AFPRO, with materially larger capital and program scale.
• WaterAid India: WaterAid India is a large-scale WASH-focused INGO working on water, sanitation, and hygiene across multiple states. It is a broader incumbent in the WASH space where AFPRO also operates, with greater funding scale and global brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/action-for-food-production-new-delhi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Action for Food Production, New Delhi