India, Nepal and Sri Lanka
History
At the invitation of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the foundation established an office in India in 1952. It was the foundation's first program outside the United States. Through our office in New Delhi, we also have a limited presence in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Solutions Through Partnerships
The foundation originally worked in close collaboration with the Indian government, providing both financial and technical support. Today, we work with a wide range of partners, with a focus on helping India's civil society find local solutions to challenges of poverty and injustice.
Changing Needs and Opportunities
Over the past five decades, our focus in India and South Asia has evolved to respond to changing needs and opportunities.
We have had a long history of association with institutions and movements for social justice and social change, with early and long-term engagement in areas such as:
- Agriculture and the Green Revolution
- Microfinance
- Municipal planning
- Dalit and women's rights
- Indigenous philanthropy
- Peace and regional security
- Classical and contemporary arts
- Democratic decentralization and the panchayats, educational and scholarly institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Management
- Natural resource management, particularly Joint Forest Management.
Extended Engagement
Since its establishment, the New Delhi office has made more than 3,500 grants totaling more than $508 million to nearly 1,250 institutions.
We are committed to honoring our legacy in the country and to our ongoing partnership with India's government, universities, and civil society, as well as the many South Asian regional institutions with which we work.
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