• Diploma in Training and Development, 1989, Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD), New Delhi
• Accredited Trainer in Entrepreneurial Motivation, 1990, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business development (NIESBUD), New Delhi
• Three months General Management Programme at IRMA, (Institute of Rural Management), Anand, India, 1992

Training of Trainers (TOT) Programmes in Micro-Finance

• Participation in three Training of Trainers (TOT) Programmes in Micro-Finance , sponsored by CGAP of the World Bank
• 1. At Asian Institute of Management, Manila( 0 days in November 1998)
  2. At Colombo, Sri Lanka (10 days in May 1999 )
  3. In Session 2 of the Micro-Finance Training Programme (Micro-Finance Best Practices) at the Economics Institute, Boulder, University of Colorado, USA. (July 26 to Aug 14, 1999.)
• Themes covered in the three programs: Delinquency Management, Accounting for Micro-Finance Institutions, Cost Allocation in Multiple Service NGOs, Sustainability and Interest Rates.

Responsibility as Program Officer, The Ford Foundation, New Delhi

As Program Officer, was responsible for Program development and management of Foundation’s grant making (approximately annually 2.5 million USD for the program) in the focus area of Livelihood promotion and Rural Finance in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Some examples of work in the Ford Foundation 2006-2014

• Contributions to NRLM, SFAC and BRLF of the government of India, the three flagship initiatives in the last five years through several formal and informal interactions and idea exchanges with professionals from the NMMU of the NRLM, Rural Development Ministry, UNDP, the World Bank and the civil society
• Livelihood Finance for farmer producer organizations and strengthening their capacities
• Support to a publication of HR issues in managing large government programs
• Participation as keynote speaker and resource person in national and international conferences on Social entrepreneurship, livelihood promotion, financing producer companies etc. (Deshpande Foundation, Access Livelihood India summit, IIM-Bangalore, CAB of the RBI etc.)
• Mentoring and counseling to at least fifteen new and emerging organizations in the grantee portfolio
• Grants made in sectors such as dairy, poultry, handlooms and handicrafts, fruits and vegetables, fisheries, cotton, pulses
• Some of the grantees with whom worked: PRADAN, BASIX, FWWB, I, Rabo Bank Foundation, EDA, ASA, SEWA, Livelihood School, Access Dev Services, XIMB
• Networking of management institutions and NGOs to facilitate interactions with NRLM in states
• Project appraisals and grant making to about 50 organizations
• Convening of the Livelihood learning Group of grantees
• Member of the South-south learning and knowledge management activities within FF offices in Africa and Latin America
• Monitoring of the Ultra poor program of the grantee MFIs
• Development of proposal for weather insurance
• Development of proposal for Vidarbha farmers (organic cotton)
• Networking among grantees for policy and advocacy work
• Commissioning of the India State of the Sector Report on Livelihood and Micro Finance
• Commissioning of the publication: Inclusive Value chains in India

 IX. Responsibility shared as Program Officer, SDC, Delhi                                                                                                                                                                                                                           As Program Officer, responsible for Program development and strategic steering of SDC Partnerships in the Focus area of Rural Finance and     Employment as also Human and Institutional Development (HID).

• • Specific tasks (Program officer and file-in-charge) in SDC: NABARD, SIDBI, World Bank Delhi office Rural Finance reform (thru Swiss Trust Funds), BASIX and IGS, SEWA, FWWB, SA-DHAN, PRADAN, Sericulture program, HID Forum, IRENet, NIF-GIAN
  • In support role to other Program officers of SDC for programs: UNIDO cluster development, GDS, ISVTT, EDA rural system, RCCI, DA, TERI, Fighting discrimination task force

Specific examples of work in SDC

• • • Discussions with NABARD head office and other NABARD offices on HID and change management themes, RRB and Cooperative reforms, future of SHG-Bank linkage program and other key themes in Rural finance and livelihood
    • Member of CGAP team (for appraisal of FWWB)
    • Facilitated (Mid-term) self-evaluation of NABARD-SDC partnership
    • Supported the organizational learning and evaluation (OLE) process of BASIX
    • Contributed to the reorientation of the SDC Sericulture program (in Bangalore) in the light of Poverty reduction strategies and elimination of child labor
    • Interactions with SA-DHAN, PRADAN and HIDF on contours of new collaboration with SDC
    • Worked with SIDBI on strategies for promotion of rural enterprises and Concept notes leading to two MoUs on extending credit to grass root innovators and SMEs needing credit in the range of Rs 1 to 10 lakhs
    • Planning actions under the Swiss Trust Fund World Bank initiative for Rural finance reforms in India
    • Worked on the Project document for marketing of 10,000 Solar lanterns with a commercial loan and technical assistance from SDC
    • Concept note on Livelihood security action research with SEWA
    • Member of SDC internal teams/task force on HID, Fighting discrimination, preparation of the Annual Plan, Learning events within SDC and with SDC partners etc.
    • Dialogue with missions (bilateral and multilateral) to India on Rural Finance/SME development 

Publications: Books                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

• Co-editor of a publication ‘Gems of Purest Ray Serene, profiling India’s 22 outstanding social workers’ (2017) both print and e version as in the links here www.socialworkindia.in
• “Social Entrepreneurship” in “Beyond Micro Credit: Putting Development Back into Micro Finance”, (Ed) Thomas Fisher and M. S. Sriram, a Vistaar Book, (2002) Sage Publications, New Delhi
• Managerial Decision making in Cooperative and Voluntary Organizations; Text and Cases (1995), ICA DOMUS TRUST, New Delhi.
• Grassroots Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurs and Micro Enterprises in Rural India (1995) Wiley Eastern, New Delhi. (Second Edition 1999)
• In Search of Identity: Women Entrepreneurs of India (1992), jointly with Nalinee Contractor, EDI-I, Ahmadabad

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Published over 20 Papers, case studies and short articles in academic journals on following themes:

• Micro Enterprises, Rural finance and Co-operatives, Management of Development organisations, Agri Business and Dunkel Draft.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Membership

• Member of the Advisory Committee of Heifer Project International India, Delhi

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Work in the Tata Trusts (2016-2018)

• Lead of the research on Social Entrepreneurship: Essay as in the link below Essay-on-social-enterprises-and-social-entrepreneurs-Review-of-global-Indian-and-Bharat-lanscape
• Co-editor of a publication ‘Gems of Purest Ray Serene, profiling India’s 22 outstanding social workers’
• Contribution to VillageSquare https://www.villagesquare.in/author/ajit-kanitkar/
• Training programmes for PRANDAN, AKRSP and other NGOs
• Writeshop for Tata Trusts partners and associate organisations (CML, CSPC, TWM)
• Visiting faculty at IIM Udaipur

Hobbies :Outdoors sports (Tennis, Cycling, skiing, trekking), Indian Classical music