Who are we?
SKOCH Development Foundation is a not-for-profit company dedicated to promoting inclusive development; working on the motto of mainstreaming the marginalised. Grounded in primary field research, the Foundation bridges the gap between actual conditions and policy design, turning grassroots insights concerning actionable knowledge for governments, institutions and development practitioners.
The Foundation combines research with action. It conducts field outreach, capacity-building programmes, training workshops and knowledge initiatives that strengthen institutions as it expands opportunities for communities. Since its inception, it has worked extensively to empower women, particularly through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), while promoting financial literacy, strengthening local capacities and bolstering sustainable livelihoods.
SKOCH Development Foundation is a Section 8 company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and is recognised as a charitable institution under Sections 80G and 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Learn MoreInterventions
Programmes conducted by the Foundation
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Centre of Excellence – Ministry of Tribal Affairs
To identify, evaluate, recognise and document best practices related to tribal affairs. The objective is to create a Digital Knowledge Repository of Best Practices in Tribal Affairs. It includes areas like Scholarships, EMRS, Livelihoods, Forest Produce, Women Empowerment and so on.
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Samavesh
Samavesh is aimed at alleviating poverty through a dovetail of financial literacy and financial inclusion. Samavesh is based on over two decades of SKOCH Group’s own ground research in the hinterlands. This initiative is based on the SKOCH Model of Inclusive Growth, which is aimed at targeting poverty at the grassroots level.
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Encourage
Encourage aims at leveraging capabilities of the SME sector so that they are also able to contribute more to the Indian economy and cash on the benefits of capital markets and access credit. Hundreds of SMEs have been mentored and benefited from the programme. Several of them have listed on the national exchanges.
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Hope
Hope is the oldest programme, which is designed to further causes of women empowerment, child development, social and digital inclusion. The programmes are taken up mostly in geographically challenged regions. A number of schools in North Eastern Region have been adopted by the Foundation.
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Br. Finn Good Person Award
Mr Sameer Kochhar and Mrs Manisha Kochhar instituted the Br. Finn Good Person Award at St. Columba’s School, New Delhi to honour his guidance and mentorship to students, and is conferred upon those who exhibit an exceptional strength of character, integrity, a strong sense of brotherhood, and gentlemanly conduct. These qualities are central to the life and mission of Br Finn.
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Shakti
Shakti was initiated with the aim of empowering women financially, socially and digitally. Experiences of wide ranging of field visits and action researches articulated that women-led micro and small enterprises provide opportunities to accelerate economic activities. It is also seen that credit and market linkages are important to create livelihood opportunities for women.
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YUVA
The biggest challenge and largest opportunity for India is to be able to galvanize this young energy. It is only if we are able to ask the right questions that there will be a change in public policies. YUVA aims to bring policy discussions to campuses in India. It is a mentorship platform for bringing greater participation of the youth in policymaking.