SRISTI ORG

What SRISTI ORG does

SRISTI is a developmental voluntary non-profit organization headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India (Registration No. F/3538/AHMEDABAD), founded around 1993-1998 with active 33+ year continuity. It operates the Honey Bee Network, an established platform that scouts, documents, validates, and disseminates grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge from rural India. SRISTI serves individual innovators, farmers, women, children, and rural communities through field-based discovery journeys (Shodhyatra — approximately 250 km over 7-8 days, with the 55th edition planned for June 2026 in Telangana), recurring annual recognition programs (Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ignited Mind Children's Awards, Sattvik Traditional Food Festival), and an ecosystem of partner linkages with academic, government, and international bodies.

The organization's technology stack is non-proprietary in the conventional sense — SRISTI does not develop commercial software. Its infrastructure consists of search portals (Honeybee Database, Medicinal Plant Search, Techpedia, CPRI, Low-Cost Practices Library), a research laboratory (SRISTI Lab), a biotechnology incubator (BioNEST, operated in partnership with BIRAC), and an internal grants mechanism (Social Innovation Fund). Documented outcomes include the Cotton Stripper Machine (400 kg/hour processing), the Laxmi Asu making machine (reduced sari production time from 4 hours to 1.5 hours, enabling 6 saris/day vs 2 previously), the bamboo windmill for salt farming (1200-1500 L/hr discharge at 10-12 km/hr wind), and the Dadaji HMT paddy variety (yields up to 45 q/ha).

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial. SRISTI holds Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration enabling international inflows, donations are exempt from Indian income tax under Section 80G, and bilateral/multilateral partnerships with UNICEF, USAID, BIRAC, ILO, IDRC, and ZEF-PARI sustain operations. Shodhyatra participants self-fund lodging and boarding. Distribution is largely event- and field-driven (walks, night meets, local-language newsletters called Lok Sharvani) rather than through conventional marketing channels. The organization operates with 23 employees and is led by founder Anil K. Gupta. SRISTI functions primarily as a non-profit intermediary, channeling institutional, academic, and donor resources toward grassroots innovators for value addition and scaling rather than capturing the economics itself.

Name

SRISTI ORG

Legal name

SRISTI

Website

https://sristi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SRISTI is an Ahmedabad-based non-profit operating the Honey Bee Network to scout, document, and disseminate grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge from rural India, serving individual innovators, farmers, women, children, and rural communities through walking discovery journeys, recognition awards, and partner-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grassroots Innovation Ecosystem Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance (BPADAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Grassroots innovation scouting
• Traditional knowledge documentation
• Innovation ecosystem development
• Community innovation networks
• Frugal innovation dissemination

Headquarters

HQ city

Ahmedabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Innovation Fund (SIF): SRISTI operates the Social Innovation Fund which provides support to grassroots innovators. The fund likely receives contributions from various sources including foreign funding under FCRA provisions.
2. Donations and Grants: Registered organization under FCRA receiving foreign contributions. Donations are exempt from income tax under section 80G of Indian Income Tax Act.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SRISTI is a developmental voluntary organization that scouts, documents, validates, and disseminates grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge from rural India through the Honey Bee Network. It operates programs including Shodhyatra walking journeys, GYTI Awards, Sattvik Traditional Food Festival, Ignited Mind Children Creativity Award, BioNEST biotech incubator, SRISTI Lab research facility, and Social Innovation Fund, connecting grassroots innovators with institutional support for recognition and scaling.

Product overview

SRISTI is a developmental voluntary organization that operates as a platform supporting grassroots innovation ecosystems. Its core offerings include the Honey Bee Network (knowledge-sharing platform), Shodhyatra (walking discovery journeys), GYTI Awards (recognition program), and Sattvik (traditional food festival). Supporting infrastructure includes BioNEST (biotech incubator), SRISTI Lab (research facility), Social Innovation Fund (financial support), and multiple searchable databases (Honeybee, Medicinal Plant, CPRI). The organization functions as an integrated network connecting rural innovators with resources, recognition, and scaling opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GYTI Awards (Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards): Annual awards program recognizing technological innovations by young innovators and students.
• Shodhyatra
• SATTVIK (Traditional Food Festival)
• Ignited Mind (Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ignited Mind Children Creativity and Innovation Award)
• SRISTI Lab
• BioNEST
• Social Innovation Fund (SIF)
• Techpedia
• SRISTI Prakrutik Khedut Haat

Products and services

• Honey Bee Network A knowledge-sharing network that scouts, documents, and disseminates grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge from rural innovators, farmers, and artisans across India. It serves individual innovators and communities seeking recognition and institutional support for their frugal, eco-friendly innovations.
• Shodhyatra A walking journey program (approximately 250 km over 7-8 days) that travels through remote areas to discover and document grassroots innovators, traditional knowledge, and eco-friendly practices. Organized twice yearly since 1998, with the 55th edition planned for June 2026 in Telangana. Participants engage with villagers, farmers, and artisans during night meets.
• Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards Annual awards program recognizing outstanding technological innovations developed by young innovators at the grassroots level. Includes awards, recognition, and support for scaling innovations.
• Sattvik Traditional Food Festival Annual traditional food festival celebrating indigenous crops, recipes, and nutritional knowledge. Organized to promote awareness about local food biodiversity and traditional agricultural practices.
• Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ignited Mind Children Creativity and Innovation Award Competition encouraging creativity and innovation among school children, fostering scientific temperament and problem-solving skills from a young age. Recognizes creative and innovative work by children.
• BioNEST Incubator Biotechnology incubator that supports biotech startups and innovators with mentoring, facilities, and funding opportunities. Operates as part of the BioNEST network in collaboration with BIRAC.
• SRISTI Lab Research laboratory facility conducting research in areas of traditional knowledge, grassroots innovations, and sustainable technologies. Includes research areas, published papers, and research facilities.
• Social Innovation Fund (SIF) Fund providing financial support to grassroots innovators and social entrepreneurs to help scale their innovations and sustainable solutions. Operates under FCRA provisions for receiving contributions from various sources.
• Honeybee Database Online searchable database of grassroots innovations, traditional knowledge practices, and creative individuals identified through Honey Bee Network outreach over 33+ years.
• Medicinal Plant Search Database Searchable database of medicinal plants and traditional herbal knowledge documented from various regions of India.
• Techpedia Online platform connecting technical institutions with grassroots innovations, facilitating student projects based on traditional knowledge and local innovations.
• Biotech Innovation Ignition School (BIIS) Educational program providing training and ignition support for biotechnology innovators and entrepreneurs, fostering biotech innovation capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cotton Stripper Machine can process 400 kg cotton per hour
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF collaborates with SRISTI on child-focused innovation programs, supporting the Ignited Mind awards and children's creativity initiatives.
• USAIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSAID partners with SRISTI on development projects focusing on grassroots innovation and traditional knowledge documentation.
• BIRACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRISTI-BIRAC collaboration supports biotech innovation and startups through the BioNEST incubator and related programs.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRISTI & ILO Initiative focuses on labor-related grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge in work practices.
• International Development Research Centre (IDRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDRC supports SRISTI research initiatives on development and traditional knowledge.
• ZEF-PARIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZEF-PARI collaboration focuses on participatory research and innovation documentation.
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIR supports grassroots innovators through Technopreneur Promotion Program (TePP). Mansukhbhai secured Rs 5,80,000 under TePP for cotton stripper machine development.
• Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGIAN (West) takes up value addition for grassroots innovations, connecting innovators with institutions. They scouted Mansukhbhai's cotton stripper and arranged technical assistance.
• National Institute of Design (NID)coreTechnology or IntegrationNID Ahmedabad provided design thinking inputs for the cotton stripper machine improvement through GIAN.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BAIF Development Research Foundation: Large Pune-headquartered development research foundation working on livestock, agriculture, and rural livelihoods. Comparable in mandate of converting rural traditional knowledge into scalable, field-validated innovations.
• Development Alternatives: India-based social enterprise working on sustainable development, grassroots technology, and eco-preneurship. Highly comparable in mission of mainstreaming frugal, eco-friendly grassroots innovations across rural India.
• M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF): Chennai-based research foundation working on pro-poor, pro-women, and pro-nature agricultural innovations and rural livelihoods. Shares SRISTI's focus on grassroots agricultural technology and traditional knowledge, with comparable FCRA-registered grant-funded operating model.
• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): New Delhi-based NGO that promotes rural livelihoods and women's self-help groups using grassroots engagement models. Highly comparable in community-led development approach and reliance on field staff to identify and scale local innovations.
• Honey Bee Trust: Sister organization of the Honey Bee Network, supporting editorial and dissemination activities of grassroots innovations through multilingual publications. Highly comparable in mission and overlapping personnel with SRISTI.
• National Innovation Foundation (NIF) India: An autonomous body under India's Department of Science and Technology that scouts, validates, and disseminates grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge — directly overlapping with SRISTI's Honey Bee Network mandate. NIF is the largest state-backed peer in the same niche.
• Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN): A network of cells (including GIAN-West) that take up value addition and scaling for grassroots innovations in partnership with SRISTI. It plays an adjacent scouting-to-incubation role with overlapping innovator portfolios.

Emerging players

• Agastya International Foundation: Bangalore-based foundation running large-scale rural science education and hands-on innovation programs (mobile science labs, young instructor leader model). Overlaps with SRISTI's Ignited Mind and AASTIIK education innovation pillars.

Others

• International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe): Kenya-based scientific research organization focused on insect-based and tropical agriculture solutions. Comparable as an emerging-market R&D institution working on frugal, eco-friendly solutions with international donor backing — though thematically adjacent rather than directly competitive.

Broad incumbents

• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): Large Delhi-based sustainable development research institute working on energy, environment, and resource policy. Comparable in being a grant-funded research/advocacy institution but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope than SRISTI.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sristiorg

Compliance2 records

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 SRISTI ORG