Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood

What Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood does

Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood (CML) is a nonprofit development organization initiated by Tata Trusts in 2008 and headquartered in Guwahati, Assam, India. It operates as a specialized umbrella support organization for capacity building, research, collaborative interventions, and policy advocacy across the eight states of Northeast India, with explicit operational presence in Assam, Manipur, and Tripura. The organization runs four integrated program streams: Livelihood (income generation and economic empowerment), WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education, and Institution Building, delivered through a community-led model that partners with hundreds of grassroots NGOs. Its stated differentiator is a deep understanding of regional challenges and the design of long-term, data-supported interventions aimed at moving beyond patchwork philanthropy.

CML is governed by a Chairman (Ranjit Barthakur, a social entrepreneur with 40+ years of cross-sector expertise and prior advisory roles to the ex-Chief Minister of Assam) and an Executive Director (Mr. Ray, an international development professional with 31 years of experience across GIZ, iDE, SELCO Foundation, DAY-NRLM, and PRADAN). Staffing is reported at 11-50 employees, with headquarters at Divine Plaza, Dispur, Guwahati. The organization holds 12A and 80G certifications under the Indian Income Tax Act, enabling tax-advantaged donations.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded. CML does not sell products or services commercially; revenue is derived from Tata Trusts initiative funding, charitable donations (a public donate button is present on the website), and grant funding. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on NGO intermediaries for last-mile program delivery rather than direct commercial sales channels. Marketing and outreach are limited to organic social (Twitter/X at @CMLnortheast), a website with newsletter signup, annual reports, and field events such as farmer melas and training workshops. No commercial pricing, app presence, proprietary technology platform, API, or AI/ML capability is disclosed in the available material.

Name

Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood

Legal name

Centre for Microfinance & Livelihood

Website

https://cmlnortheast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood is a Tata Trusts-affiliated nonprofit founded in 2008 that delivers capacity building, livelihood, WaSH, education, and institution-building programs to underserved communities across Northeast India through partnerships with hundreds of grassroots NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

Keywords

• Community development programs
• Livelihood interventions
• Capacity building services
• Rural development initiatives
• NGO partnership network

Headquarters

HQ city

Guwahati

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CML operates as a Tata Trusts initiative funded through donations. The website features a donate button and maintains charity registration (12A & 80G Certified), indicating reliance on charitable contributions and grant funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CML operates as a Tata Trusts-initiative nonprofit umbrella support organization that delivers sustainable development programs across Northeast India through four program areas: Livelihood Programs (income generation and economic empowerment), WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Education Programs, and Institution Building (NGO and community organization capacity strengthening). These programs are implemented through partnerships with hundreds of grassroots NGOs and supported by data analytics and technology.

Product overview

Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood (CML) operates as a development organization offering a portfolio of program areas focused on sustainable development for Northeast India. The organization provides four integrated program streams: Livelihood Programs for income generation and economic empowerment, WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) for community health, Education Programs for learning outcomes, and Institution Building for NGO and community organization capacity strengthening. These programs are delivered through partnerships with hundreds of NGOs and are supported by data analytics and technology. CML was initiated by Tata Trusts in 2008 as an umbrella support organization for capacity building, research, and policy advocacy in the development space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Livelihood Programs

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hundreds of NGOs (unspecified)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCML partners with hundreds of NGOs to uplift underserved communities across Northeast India, strengthening livelihoods and enabling community leadership through collaborative interventions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PRADAN: PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) is a prominent Indian NGO operating across multiple states, focused on livelihood promotion, women's self-help groups, and rural development—directly comparable to CML's livelihood and institution-building work, and is explicitly named in CML's Executive Director's prior affiliations.
• SELCO Foundation: SELCO Foundation runs sustainable development and energy-access programs for underserved Indian communities, with a long-standing Guwahati presence where CML's ED previously served as Regional Head. Both organizations focus on multi-sector (energy, livelihood, health) community interventions in underserved regions.
• Naandi Foundation: Naandi Foundation is a large Indian development NGO working across livelihood, education, and water access, mirroring CML's four-pillar integrated portfolio and similarly operating as a non-profit funded by corporate philanthropy.
• Development Alternatives: Development Alternatives is a long-standing Indian sustainable development organization delivering programs in livelihoods, water, and institution building, with comparable geographic spread across underserved Indian regions and a similar NGO-of-NGOs capacity-building orientation.
• Grameen Foundation India: Grameen Foundation focuses on microfinance, livelihood, and digital inclusion for the poor—directly comparable to CML's name and stated focus on microfinance and livelihood interventions for underserved populations.
• Access Development Services: Access Development Services supports livelihoods, financial inclusion, and capacity building of civil society organizations across India—closely matching CML's NGO capacity-building and livelihood mandate.

Emerging players

• Ekjut: Ekjut is an Indian NGO operating community health, nutrition, and women's empowerment programs in tribal and rural belts including Jharkhand and Odisha—comparable in scale and methodology to CML's grassroots community-led model, though operating in different states.

Others

• Tata Trusts: Tata Trusts is CML's parent/sponsor organization and one of India's largest philanthropic institutions. While not a peer in the competitive sense, Tata Trusts' other development initiatives provide the structural and funding environment in which CML operates.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) India: GIZ is a major bilateral development agency that implements livelihood, rural development, and capacity-building programs in Northeast India. CML's ED previously worked for GIZ in Cambodia, and GIZ is a frequent partner of grassroots NGOs working in the region.

Regional players

• DAY-NRLM (National Rural Livelihoods Mission): DAY-NRLM is the Government of India's flagship rural livelihoods program where CML's ED has served as a National Resource Person. While a government program rather than an NGO, it is the dominant livelihood-promotion actor in India's Northeast and shapes the ecosystem in which CML operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CMLnortheast
• Facebookfacebook.com/cmltatatrustssports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-microfinance-and-livelihood

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood