Jagriti Yatra:
Jagriti Yatra is a 17-year-old movement dedicated to ‘Building India through Enterprise’, with a sharp focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 India—what we call Middle India. This flagship initiative is a 15-day, 8000-km entrepreneurship train journey that has inspired over 9,000 youth from India and 23 countries since 2008, nurturing a generation of changemakers and entrepreneurs. With a growing base in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jagriti is now anchoring a deeper ecosystem of enterprise-led development.
Jagriti Enterprise Center-Purvanchal
To build on this vision, we established the Jagriti Enterprise Centre – Purvanchal (JECP) in Deoria as a long-term platform to nurture rural and small-town entrepreneurs. Using a hub-and-spoke model, JECP operates a central campus and incubation offices across 10 districts. In just three years, we’ve supported 150+ local entrepreneurs, reaching 30,000+ beneficiaries, and are now setting up seven Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in key sectors including Healthcare, Digital, Women Empowerment, Agro-Processing, and Bioregional development.
Bioregional CoE
Supported by Rainmatter Foundation, the Bioregional CoE was established to reimagine development in Purvanchal through a bioregional lens—relocalising economies, restoring ecosystems, and regenerating cultural heritage.
The CoE aims to build a resilient and self-reliant Purvanchal, rooted in ecological sustainability, regenerative livelihoods, and cultural continuity. Our approach is grounded in three pillars:
- Innovation across Sectors
The CoE conducts rigorous research across agriculture, waste, biodiversity, and local economies to identify systemic challenges and foster innovative solutions that address the region’s pressing environmental problems. This includes:
-Developing solutions for waste management, water systems, land use, and local industries etc.
-Producing research publications to inform localised policy and practice.
- Incubation for Regenerative Enterprises
We are incubating 30 regenerative and distributive startups that intersect with local biodiversity and community needs. This includes:
-7M incubation support—providing mentorship, seed funding, market access, and ecosystem connections.
-Capacity-building of entrepreneurs to help them adopt sustainable practices and scale local enterprises.
-Enabling local solutions in circular economy, natural resource restoration, and economic relocalisation.
- Ecosystem Building for Systemic Change
The CoE actively collaborates with institutions, market players, government, designers, and startups to drive systemic shifts across 10 districts. This ecosystem approach supports:
-Design and implementation of development programs, community-led initiatives, and regional events.
-Fostering a network of 300+ producers and supply chain partners aligned with sustainable principles.
Our Environmental Sustainability Approach
At the heart of our model is a culture-centric approach that promotes and revives local traditions, indigenous knowledge, and community agency. Our sustainability efforts are focused on three interlinked impact areas:
Circular Economy & Waste Management: Enabling local enterprises to reduce waste and close resource loops.
Biodiversity & Natural Assets: Protecting and enhancing local ecological systems, flora, fauna, and commons.
Decentralised / Local Economy: Strengthening local production and consumption systems to build economic sovereignty.
National Dissemination and Knowledge Sharing
All research, learnings, and outcomes from the CoE will be disseminated regionally and eventually nationally to inform policy, inspire replication, and influence broader development discourse.
The Bioregional CoE is working to build a resilient and self-reliant Purvanchal, rooted in ecological sustainability and cultural continuity.