Ongoing Public Policy Projects

The Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) is a longitudinal programme of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business that aims to generate evidence for replicable models of large-scale development and economic well-being through forest-centric value chains. Grounded in sustainability, scalability, and technology, the initiative aligns public policy, statutory provisions, multi-stakeholder engagement, and market opportunities to strengthen forest governance and community-led development. Operating across six states-Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha- IoFE works with governments, local communities, businesses, and civil society organisations to build sustainable forest economies, enhance livelihoods, conserve biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, and develop scalable models for India's forested landscapes.

Odisha

In Odisha, the Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) was launched to strengthen forest-dependent communities by transforming Community Forest Rights into sustainable, women-led forest economies. In partnership with the Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, the initiative strengthens community ownership of forest resources by supporting the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, through the recognition of Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR), strengthening Community Forest Resource Management Committees (CFRMCs), preparing Community Forest Resource Management Plans (CFRMPs), promoting habitat rights for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and building women-owned forest enterprises across Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, and Keonjhar. A three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Terviva India Private Limited to establish a structured, transparent, and sustainable market system for Karanj (Pongamia pinnata) by strengthening aggregation, quality assurance, fair pricing, technology adoption, and long-term market access for women-owned Producer Companies. Building on this partnership, the initiative facilitated the first corporate sale of Karanj seeds by a women-owned Producer Company to Terviva and strengthened institutional market linkages for Sal and Karanj seeds. It has also launched a women-led community bamboo stewardship pilot in Kalimela, Malkangiri, introducing a scientific, community-based bamboo management model that promotes sustainable bamboo harvesting, strengthens women-led enterprises, and creates new livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.

Andhra Pradesh

The Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) works with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to advance Community Forest Rights (CFR), promote sustainable forest-based value chains, and strengthen livelihoods among forest-dependent communities through institutional and technological innovation. The initiative supports the incorporation of five women-owned, forest-based Producer Companies across the Community Forest Resource landscapes of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Polavaram districts. It also advances digital forest governance through RatiFi, an end-to-end digital platform that streamlines Community Forest Rights (CFR) claim filing and management in collaboration with the State FRA Cell. In addition, the initiative facilitates multi-stakeholder engagement across CFR-granted villages to strengthen market linkages, assess bamboo procurement opportunities, and foster long-term partnerships that enhance sustainable, community-led forest enterprises.

Himachal Pradesh

In Himachal Pradesh, the Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) was launched to strengthen community-led forest governance and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for forest-dependent communities by effectively implementing the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Working in partnership with the Government of Himachal Pradesh and district administrations, the initiative supports the recognition of Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR), strengthens Community Forest Resource Management Committees (CFRMCs), prepares Community Forest Resource Management Plans (CFRMPs), and promotes technology-enabled forest resource mapping across Pangi, Bhattiyat, Lahaul, and Spiti. The Pir Panjal Jungle Producer Company and Saatdhara Tribal Women Jungle Producer Company continue to strengthen community-owned forest enterprises through improved governance, shareholder participation, and sustainable forest produce planning. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management, Sirmaur, was signed to advance research, policy, and capacity building on forest economies, with a focus on women-owned enterprises, tenure security, leadership development, and sustainable livelihoods.

Jharkhand

The Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) has been actively engaged in Jharkhand for over five years, conducting groundwork and scoping studies to promote a sustainable forest-based economy. The initiative focuses on strengthening tribal forest economies through community-owned forest enterprises, sustainable forest-based value chains, technology-enabled governance, and stronger market linkages for seasonal forest products. The programme supports community mobilisation, capacity building, forest resource mapping, and women-led Producer Companies to improve local value addition and incomes. As part of this collaboration, an MoU with the Sidho-Kanho Agriculture and Forest Produce State Co-operative Federation Limited (SIDHKOFED) was signed to strengthen market-driven forest value chains, expand digital traceability systems, advance geospatial forest planning, and reinforce institutional support for community-led forest governance across priority forest districts.

Goa

The Initiative on the Forest Economy’s (IoFE) partnership with the government of Goa was established to propel rural development, tactfully address the threats of climate change while facilitating adaptation, support the growth of the bamboo economy, and empower women-led enterprises. As a result of its understanding with the state government, the IoFE is also responsible for creating market linkages for Goa’s local economies and creating wholesome value chains for businesses of communities with tenure rights through effective mechanical and technological support.

Maharashtra

The partnership with the Government of Maharashtra focuses on translating Community Forest Rights (CFR) into sustainable, market-linked livelihood opportunities for forest-dependent communities. Across Nandurbar, Gadchiroli, and Gondia, the initiative strengthens community-led forest governance, women-owned Producer Companies, and sustainable forest-based value chains. As part of this collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the District Collector's Office, Gondia, to support the preparation of Community Forest Rights Management Plans and strengthen women-led Producer Companies. The initiative has established Toranadevi Jungle Producer Company Limited, Maharashtra's first tribal women-owned forest-based Producer Company, to strengthen community ownership and management of forest resources while creating sustainable market opportunities. Building on this foundation, the Producer Company completed its first institutional bamboo sale, supplying 1,010 bamboo poles to the Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology (CIBART), Gujarat, through a direct, intermediary-free transaction.

The Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship: a legislative capacity-building initiative that strengthens evidence-informed policymaking by embedding trained research fellows within the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to provide research and policy support to legislators. The programme continues to strengthen constituency-level planning and legislative support through the completion and refinement of all 34 Constituency Development Profiles (CDPs), with 16 profiles submitted to the Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG) and the remaining profiles being enhanced through constituency workshops and consultations with MLAs, government departments, and partners including the Harvard Growth Lab, MPOWER, and the State Capability Enhancement Project. Fellows continue to support a statewide study on the Jal Jeevan Mission in collaboration with the Public Health Engineering Department and MIG, provide research, drafting, and coordination support during Assembly sessions across key policy sectors, and contribute to Social Impact Assessments for major infrastructure projects. The programme also advances health awareness initiatives, youth and climate policy engagements, and preparations for the third cohort.

The Meghalaya District Research Fellowship (MDRF) was launched by the Government of Meghalaya in collaboration with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (BIPP, ISB) as its knowledge and implementation partner. It is purposed to bridge the observable gap in efficient planning, implementation, and monitoring of initiatives and schemes at the district administration level. The programme, for the fulfilment of these aims, has engaged young professionals who will be trained with an aim to assist District Magistrates (DMs) and collectors in 24 different districts, improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

The Bharti Institute, as the knowledge partner, will facilitate training of the MDRF fellows through a meticulously designed training/workshop programme, equipping them with skills to handle digital tools, conduct qualitative and quantitative research, and analyse data for the realisation of the overarching objective—impacting public policy in Meghalaya by delivering advanced education, research, and engagement.

Enabling Agriculture Nutrition Convergence through Technical Support (ENACTS) is a technical assistance facility that accelerates agriculture–nutrition convergence by strengthening partnerships with government agencies, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and local institutions to improve access to diverse and nutritious diets. As part of the initiative, an MoU was signed with the Sakam Sindur FPO to formalise the implementation of PARIPURNA, a pilot initiative based in Harichandanpur, Odisha, that aims to strengthen local food systems and improve nutrition security through community-led agriculture–nutrition convergence. The programme is strengthening institutional procurement systems by preparing FPOs for institutional sales, establishing partnerships with schools, introducing the Selli-fi digital procurement platform to streamline school ordering and payments, and enhancing supply chain readiness. In engagement with the Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Government of Odisha, it supports strategic planning and institutional capacity. In Andhra Pradesh, field engagements with the Andhra Pradesh Community Natural Farming programme and Anganwadi Centres are informing assessments of local food systems, nutrition services, digital monitoring platforms, and food markets to support context-specific, nutrition-sensitive interventions.

A research initiative that supports district-led economic transformation by developing evidence-informed growth strategies tailored to local development priorities. As part of this initiative, the report Development Plan for District Amritsar Under Aakanksha: District as a Fulcrum of Growth was submitted to NITI Aayog, presenting a comprehensive economic development strategy for Amritsar and serving as a reference framework for similar district-level growth assessments across the country.

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business, and the Government of Uttarakhand exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen data-driven governance and evidence-informed policymaking in the state. As the research and knowledge partner to the Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPPGG), the institute is working towards supporting the government in advancing data systems, monitoring and evaluation, public policy research, leadership development, climate resilience, and the forest economy. The collaboration focuses on building institutional capacity and enhancing the state's ability to design, implement, and assess policies through data- and research-driven approaches.

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to strengthen data-driven governance and evidence-informed policymaking. The partnership works towards establishing the State Data Authority (SDA) and strengthening the institutional capacity of the State Transformation Commission (STC), while advancing integrated data systems, analytics-driven governance, AI-ready capabilities, and real-time decision-making in support of the state's vision of Viksit Uttar Pradesh 2047. As part of this engagement, the institute supports the establishment of the State Data Authority through comparative policy research, institutional design, stakeholder consultations, and data ecosystem mapping, while also undertaking an independent evaluation of Uttar Pradesh's decentralised Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Take-Home Ration (THR) model to generate evidence for strengthening nutrition service delivery and informing future policy decisions.

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business (ISB), as a knowledge partner to the Government of Himachal Pradesh, is collaborating with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department to strengthen forest governance through data, research, and technology. As part of this collaboration, the institute released Counting Green Wealth: Towards a Future-Ready People's Forest Economy in Himachal Pradesh, a report that provides data-driven insights into the state's forest resources to support sustainable forest management, improve forest-based livelihoods, and unlock the economic potential of Himachal Pradesh's forests.

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) of the Government of Andhra Pradesh to advance inclusive rural transformation. This partnership marks the launch of Velegu 2.0, a renewed phase of Andhra Pradesh’s rural poverty alleviation programme which aims to transition self-help groups (SHGs) from savings-focused collectives to wealth-generating enterprises, enabling large-scale economic participation. The collaboration focuses on strengthening institutional governance within the SERP ecosystem, financial innovation, and building AI-enabled digital platforms to support transparency, sustainability, and market linkages.

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) to strengthen collaboration on policy research, state capacity, agrobiodiversity, and sustainable food systems. The institute continues to engage with the Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra, to support key initiatives such as the Maharashtra Millet Mission, forest economy programmes, and gender-responsive agri-food systems. The engagement focuses on research collaborations, market analysis for nutrient-dense crops, the development of the Maharashtra Millet Atlas, system-level assessments, and the application of AI and digital technologies to strengthen the state's millet ecosystem and advance sustainable agricultural development.