We improve the lives and livelihood of the rural poor with an emphasis on women and tribal communities across India, by upscaling civil society action in partnership with state and central governments.
Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF) is an autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act, of 1860. On September 3, 2013, the Union Cabinet resolved to set up an independent society to upscale civil society action in partnership with the Government, and BRLF was formed.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between BRLF and the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), wherein the Government of India decided to allocate ₹500 Crore to create the corpus of the new society in two tranches. In addition, funds would also be sourced from concerned State Governments, Banks, the corporate sector, and philanthropic foundations.
We foster and facilitate development programs in partnership with the government and CSOs, to transform the livelihoods and lives of people across India. The Central Indian Adivasi belt, with over a 20% Adivasi population in 1077 blocks (as per the 2011 census) across 190 districts in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, has been an area of particular focus for us.
BRLF aims to bring value to rural development and livelihood interventions by supporting PM’s livelihood security initiatives, reforms in government flagship programs, and innovations in improving rural livelihood. BRLF also intends to promote participatory groundwater management and non-pesticide management-based agriculture. We intend to work in the most neglected regions with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and bring value chain development for Non-Timber Forest Produces (NTFPs) and crops. BRLF is working on capacity building for rural professionals and small community-based organizations while allowing states to partner with CSOs.
The film, shot in 2019, showcases the idea and philosophy behind the foundation of BRLF. It also shows some of our key works in partnerships with Governments and CSOs.
Please note that some of the data shown in the film are not updated. To view the most recent outreach and impact data, click the button below.
BRLF achieves its key outcomes through strategic engagement with CSOs. We engage actively with CSOs to reduce gaps in program outlays and outcomes through strengthening of democratic institutions of governance at the grassroots, improving quality of implementation of programmes, and scaling up successful models of interventions.
BRLF achieves its key outcomes through strategic engagement with CSOs. We engage actively with CSOs to reduce gaps in program outlays and outcomes through strengthening democratic institutions of governance at the grassroots, improving the quality of implementation of programs, and scaling up successful models of interventions.
CSOs often struggle to find sufficient and long-term support for significant budget components like HR and operations, which directly influence livelihood interventions’ efficiency and impact quality. Our grant support and capacity-building initiatives are geared to help them find opportunities to scale and integrate with large-scale government interventions.
BRLF also enables institutional partnerships between CSOs and state governments to help them leverage programmatic resources for national and state-level programs and schemes for rural development and livelihoods.
As of March 2022, BRLF has committed Rs. 127.87 Crore toward CSO grants. Partners have leveraged a cumulative total of Rs. 3410.87 Crore from government schemes and raised co-finance of Rs. 367.20 Crore from multiple donors.
March 16, 2012: Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) was first proposed in Para III of the budget speech made by the former Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee on March 16, 2012 where it was said: “It is proposed to establish a Bharat Livelihoods Foundation of India through Aajeevika. The Foundation would support and scale up civil society initiatives and interventions particularly in the tribal regions covering around 170 districts. Private trusts and philanthropic organisations would be encouraged to partner with the autonomous body that will be managed professionally”.
BRLF shall pro-actively and voluntarily make all relevant information available under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The BRLF shall be subject to audit by India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
“The tribal regions of Central India where BRLF’s work is currently focused are the pockets where backwardness is most concentrated and where governance is also the weakest.” – Dr. Mihir Shah, President (Former), BRLF (August 2015)
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
2018-2019
2019-2020
“CPRL has strengthened the desire within me to work for society. Today, I feel very happy motivating and training farmers to do organic farming through which they reduce their input cost, increase productivity, and protect the environment.” – Ms. Balkumari, CPRL Batch V, employed with Sangata Sahbhagi Grameen Vikas Sanstha in Chhattisgarh.
2020-2021
BRLF programs contribute to achieving SDGs as declared by the United Nations: