Indian Institute Of Social Development

The organisation has actively undertaken numerous socio-economic research studies spanning various domains. These studies have been primarily funded by entities like the International Youth Centre, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Indore Habitat Improvement Project, ODA, Indore Development Authority (IDA), Directorate of Women & Child Development Madhya Pradesh, UNICEF, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Haresh Shah & Associates, M.P. Handicraft Board, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, and Vaikunthbhai Mehta Research Centre For Decentralized Industries.

IISD has been actively organising short-term Entrepreneurship Awareness Camps tailored for both rural and urban youth. These camps serve the purpose of (1) unlocking the latent potential within the youth and nurturing their abilities to tackle upcoming challenges, (2) guiding and motivating them to explore innovative and ambitious career avenues, (3) fostering entrepreneurial qualities like decision-making, calculated risk-taking, creativity, leadership, and problem-solving, and (4) providing exposure to potential opportunities in small-scale industries, businesses, and service sectors. The success of these camps is evident in their ability to effectively inspire and invigorate a substantial number of young individuals residing in urban as well as rural settings.

IISD recognizes a significant challenge in the realm of Entrepreneurship Development—namely, the lack of adequate and timely financial support for trained entrepreneurs. Despite exceptional training efforts, the absence of necessary credit from banks hindered the desired success rates in Entrepreneurship Development Programs (EDPs). In response, IISD takes proactive measures by organising workshops specifically tailored for bankers. These workshops aim to familiarize bankers, including Lead bank officers, Branch Managers of commercial and regional rural banks, and District Development Managers of NABARD, with the approach, follow-up, monitoring, and support system role within EDPs. Notably, these interactions have garnered a positive and promising response from bankers, fostering an environment of support for aspiring entrepreneurs.

IISD has conducted 14 state-level NGO capacity-building and training programmes across locations like Jhabua, Ujjain, Indore, and Bhopal, involving active participation from numerous NGOs. Collaborating with Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi, and NGO Bhavan, these initiatives have proven highly impactful. Alongside, IISD has organised seminars of significance. Notably, a State-level Consultation meeting addressing Children in Difficult Circumstances (CIDC) was jointly organised with Plan India and Academy of Gandhian Studies. Moreover, a programme focused on the Promotion of Digitization and Prevention of Cyber Crime was held, and a National Seminar concerning youth and Cleanliness was successfully conducted through a collaboration between Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, Kothari College, and the Indian Institute of Social Development.

IISD has been dedicated to fostering rural entrepreneurship for 33 years in Madhya Pradesh. The Institute has successfully conducted 200 Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs), equipping around 7500 youth from 17 districts in the western and northern regions of the state. These rural youth, trained through EDPs in various activities, have exhibited commendable success rates, ranging from 75% to 100%, in establishing their own self-employed ventures. Utilizing insights from the experiences and needs of these youth, IISD has formulated a customized model for Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (REDPs). The notable achievements of EDPs have led to considerable demand for IISD's EDP model in recent years.