Profile – Organisation Profile, history, how the organization started

In 1946, Mahatma Gandhi established a Nature Cure Centre at backward village in Urulikanchan. Dr. Manibhai Desai, his trusted disciple was assigned the responsibility of its management and worked closely with the villagers. In 1967, Manibhai Desai established the Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF), a non profitable, public Charitable Trust to replicate his experiences in rural development. BAIF has now been renamed as BAIF Development Research Foundation. Continuing the good work of Dr. Manibhai Desai in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, BAIF reached Andhra Pradesh in 1996 and started its interventions on the invitation of the Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited, Hyderabad to establish doorstep cattle breeding centres in backward districts of the state. Today, BAIF programmes in the state also includes areas such as watershed development and promotion of livelihood opportunity through effective natural resource management covering three thousand villages spread across ten districts in AP.

Our Vision

• Expansion of rural development programmes to 3 more districts besides existing 11 districts by 2012.
• Development of on-farm demo unit and full fledged training centre in Hyderabad by 2012.
• Develop Bio-energy/ Dairy value chain / Water efficient irrigation watersheds in NABARD and GoI sponsored IWMP watershed in Andhra Pradesh  by 2015.
• Establish self sustained breeding centers in potential areas of Andhra Pradesh by 2012.

Our Mission

BAIF group of voluntary organizations are committed to sustainable rural development based on Gandhian principles. They function under the broad umbrella of BAIF Development Research Foundation. BAIF Institute for Rural Development-AP is established to implement development activities in Andhra Pradesh.

BIRD-AP started its operations in 1996 based on the invitation of the Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited (APDDCF), Hyderabad to establish doorstep cattle breeding centres in backward districts of Andhra Pradesh. The  programmes include Watershed Development, Tree-Based Farming, Research, Training and Promotion of Livelihood through effective management of degraded natural resources, covering 3000 villages spread across Anantapur, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Prakasam, Ranga Reddy, Guntur, Warangal, Chittoor and West Godavari districts and  benefiting nearly one lakh families.

NGO is registered under

BIRD-AP, a sister concern of BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune is registered as society on 20-2-2007 under AP Registration of Societies Act,2001 having Registration No. 311 of 2007.

BIRD-AP Mission

• Technology transfer for conservation of natural resources, environmental protection and improved quality of life
• Promotion of food security, community health and literacy
• Empowerment of women and weaker sections of the society
• Strengthening of People's Organisation

Board of Directors