CIRDAP

What CIRDAP does

CIRDAP, the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific, is an intergovernmental and autonomous organization established in 1979 and headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It operates under a multilateral mandate from 15 member countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, IR Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam — to promote and strengthen integrated rural development systems across the Asia-Pacific region. Its core work spans four functional pillars: research, training, policy dialogue, and technical support, delivered through designated Link Institutes in each member country and governed by a Technical Committee, Executive Committee, and Governing Council.

CIRDAP's service portfolio is structured around capacity building and knowledge management rather than commercial product development. Flagship offerings include the Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development (APJORD), the CIRDAP Knowledge Series of webinars, the Flagship Training Programme, the CIRDAP Knowledge Circuit Programme jointly run with NIRDPR, the one-year Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development Management (PGDRDM) funded by the Government of India, the CIRDAP Centre on Geo-informatics Applications in Rural Development (CCGARD), the CIRDAP Project Facilitation Centre (PFC), the CIRDAP Expert Database, and the Voice of CIRDAP monthly e-bulletin. An annual CIRDAP-REEDS International Rural Development Innovation Challenge complements the training pipeline, with the 2026 edition receiving 187 submissions from 13 countries. Cumulatively, CIRDAP reports 255+ training programmes conducted and over 7,800 officials trained across its member countries.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: CIRDAP is supported by member country contributions, donor grants from multilateral institutions (ADB, IFAD, World Bank, FAO, UNESCAP), and bilateral development partners (JICA, AARDO), with no commercial pricing model. Distribution is institutional — services are delivered through ministries of rural development, agriculture, and cooperatives in each member country via Technical Committee Members and Link Institutes. Adjacent revenue/recovery comes from the CIRDAP International Conference Centre (CICC) facility in Dhaka and project-specific grants. The organization is led by Director General Dr. P. Chandra Shekara, and its reach was further institutionalized through the UN-recognized World Rural Development Day, observed for the second time in July 2026 alongside CIRDAP's 47th Foundation Day.

Name

CIRDAP

Legal name

Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)

Website

https://cirdap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CIRDAP is an intergovernmental organization, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Dhaka, that promotes integrated rural development across 15 Asia-Pacific member countries through research, training, policy dialogue, and technical support, funded by member contributions and donor grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIRDAP is an intergovernmental organisation that facilitates integrated rural development across 15 Asia-Pacific member countries through action research, training and capacity building, policy advocacy and dialogue, and technical advisory support to national rural development institutions. It functions as a regional hub for sharing knowledge, coordinating comparative research, and supporting member country efforts to reduce rural poverty and improve livelihoods.

Product overview

CIRDAP (Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific) is a regional intergovernmental and autonomous organisation established in 1979, serving 15 Asia-Pacific member countries. It is not a technology product company; rather, it offers a portfolio of capacity-building programmes, knowledge platforms, publications, and expert networks focused on integrated rural development. Its core offerings include: the Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development (APJORD) as its flagship academic publication; the CIRDAP Knowledge Series (webinars) and CIRDAP Knowledge Circuit Programme for ongoing professional development; the Flagship Training Programme and the PGDRDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development Management) jointly with NIRDPR for structured capacity building; the CIRDAP Centre on Geo-informatics Applications in Rural Development (CCGARD) and CIRDAP Project Facilitation Centre (PFC) as thematic and project-support centres; the CIRDAP-REEDS International Rural Development Innovation Challenge as an annual innovation platform; a CIRDAP Expert Database for knowledge exchange; and various books, annual reports, policy briefs, and the Voice of CIRDAP monthly e-bulletin as publications. The CICC facility also provides conference services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Action Research and Comparative Studies on Rural Development Action research and comparative studies on integrated rural development themes, designed for member country governments, national rural development institutions, and Link Institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Training and Capacity Building Programmes Training and capacity building programmes for rural development professionals, officials, and practitioners from member country institutions and ministries.
• Policy Advocacy and Policy Dialogue Services Policy advocacy and policy dialogue services that convene member country governments and institutions to advance integrated rural development policy agendas.
• Technical Advisory and Consultancy Support Technical advisory and consultancy support delivered to member country institutions to strengthen rural development programme design, implementation, and evaluation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 255 training programmes conducted and over 7,800 officials trained across member countries
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership for conducting international training programmes including the Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development Management (PGDRDM) and CIRDAP Knowledge Circuit programmes. Jointly organized 11-country training initiatives at NIRDPR Hyderabad campus.
• Rural Economic and Educational Development Society (REEDS), IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner collaborating on World Rural Development Day celebrations, innovation challenges, and rural development outreach programmes with Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned MoU in June 2026 to strengthen rural development and financial inclusion across Asia and the Pacific through collaborative programmes.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok collaborates on aquaculture investment planning, climate-resilient agriculture, and rural development initiatives. Courtesy meetings held July 2025.
• Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed June 2025 to empower rural communities, promote innovation-driven enterprises, and foster cross-border knowledge exchange on grassroots innovations.
• International Land Coalition Asia (ILC Asia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU renewed November 2025 to advance equitable land rights, promote agrarian reforms, agricultural cooperatives, and empower farmers through knowledge exchange and capacity building.
• African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on international training programmes covering agricultural engineering, agribusiness through cooperative models, and agri value chain financing.
• Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on international training programmes on agri cooperative development, startup promotion, technology, entrepreneurship and partnerships for vibrant agri cooperatives.
• Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives (NEDAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly conducts international training programmes on agricultural cooperatives for CIRDAP member countries including Thailand training programme July 2025.
• Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative webinar on Village to Net Zero solar solutions for climate action, and joint international online training programme on AI for rural development.
• Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI), Sri LankamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research project on Women, Youth & Rural Development in Sri Lanka with field implementation in Nuwara-Eliya.
• Local Development Training Academy (LDTA), NepalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch project on Capacity Development of Elected Representatives and Officials to Implement Gender Responsive Budget at Selected Local Governments in Nepal.
• UNESCAPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific - regional UN commission for economic and social development.
• Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndonesia-based centre supporting technical cooperation among developing nations in rural development.
• SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAARC regional centre working on agricultural development in South Asia.
• Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational academy providing training and research support for rural development in Bangladesh and the region.
• ICIMODminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development - regional knowledge centre for Hindu Kush Himalayas.
• Sahodari Foundation, IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian NGO collaborating on transgender community inclusion through skill-based livelihood programmes.
• Honey Bee Network / SRISTIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge documentation for rural development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Broad incumbents

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): UN specialized agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger and improve food security. Comparable to CIRDAP in rural development focus and Asia-Pacific regional presence through its Bangkok office, but operates globally with a substantially larger mandate and budget.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB): Regional development bank supporting economic development across Asia-Pacific. Comparable in regional Asia-Pacific focus and rural development financing programmes, but operates as a financial institution with lending capacity rather than a capacity-building-focused IGO.
• World Bank: International financial institution providing loans and grants for development projects. Comparable to CIRDAP in rural development focus and Asia-Pacific programme funding, with CIRDAP receiving World Bank funding for regional programmes through a financial partner relationship.
• IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development): UN specialized agency focused on rural poverty reduction and agricultural development in developing countries. Directly comparable to CIRDAP in target beneficiaries (rural poor) and core activities (rural development programmes), but operates globally with a much larger budget and direct lending capacity.
• UNESCAP (UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific): UN regional commission promoting economic and social development in Asia-Pacific. Comparable geographical focus and policy dialogue mandate as CIRDAP, but with broader scope across economic and social development and substantially larger institutional capacity.

Direct peers

• ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development): Regional intergovernmental knowledge centre serving eight Hindu Kush Himalaya countries. Comparable to CIRDAP in regional intergovernmental structure, focus on integrated development, and knowledge-sharing mission, though specialized in mountain regions and is also a CIRDAP partner.
• AARDO (African-Asian Rural Development Organization): Intergovernmental organization dedicated to rural development cooperation between African and Asian countries. Highly comparable to CIRDAP in structure (intergovernmental IGO), mission (rural development), and operating model (capacity building, training, technical cooperation) — and is also a CIRDAP partner.
• NIRDPR (National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj): India's apex national institute for rural development training and research. Comparable to CIRDAP in training programmes, capacity building, and rural development focus, and is a core partner jointly running the PGDRDM diploma programme, but operates at national level rather than cross-country.
• APRACA (Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association): Regional association promoting rural and agricultural finance across Asia-Pacific. Comparable to CIRDAP in regional scope and rural development focus, with a recently signed MoU partnership, but specialized in rural finance/credit rather than broader rural development.

Regional players

• SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC): Regional centre of SAARC focused on agricultural development cooperation in South Asia. Comparable to CIRDAP in regional intergovernmental structure and agricultural development focus, but geographically limited to South Asian SAARC member countries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cirdap79
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CIRDAPOfficialChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/@cirdap
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cirdap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CIRDAP