With about half of the world’s population already living in urban settlements, the preservation of rural livelihoods is a pressing concern for many countries. In order to counteract migration to cities, rural areas need to be able to offer sound health services, access to educational facilities and work. The creation of a robust private sector in rural areas is, therefore, an important policy goal for sustainable development. The objective of this project is to exchange ideas on how to develop robust businesses in rural areas, in particular in the fields of renewable energy, agriculture, and community-based tourism. The cross-regional project brings together partners in India, Nepal, and Mozambique.

Specifically, the partners have been sharing best practices for developing sustainable business models. They have also worked together to create business plans, training programmes for entrepreneurs and promising marketing methods. Partners have also chosen to cooperate on topics such as access to finance as well as how to raise awareness about renewable, energy-efficient and environment-friendly enterprises and technology. The latter includes innovations at the household level in the fields of waste management systems and clean cooking stoves.