The Rural Entrepreneurship Development Subject Expert Group (SEG) under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) aligns with UBA’s vision of transforming rural India through knowledge-based interventions and its mission of leveraging higher educational institutions to work with rural communities in identifying and solving developmental livelihood challenges.

Recognizing that sustainable rural livelihoods are vital for food security, income generation and resilience against vulnerabilities, this SEG focuses on promoting rural entrepreneurial models that enhance the well-being and economic security of Rural India while preserving natural resources. Despite agriculture employing over 45% of India's workforce and contributing significantly to rural income (National Statistical Office 2021a), challenges such as outdated practices, low tech adoption, and environmental vulnerabilities persist. The SEG aims to reorient traditional rural livelihoods by integrating:

• Skill development and technology interventions for rural SMEs and agri-entrepreneurs

• Value chain integration across agriculture and allied sectors (dairy, poultry, fisheries, non-timber forest products)

• Strengthening of SHGs, cooperatives, and local governance bodies for collective action, financial inclusion, and market access

• Promotion of climate-friendly and sustainable livelihood practices

• Access to digital tools, microfinance and public services

The Rural Entrepreneurship Development SEG also encourages participatory approaches by involving community knowledge and multi-stakeholder collaboration. This holistic strategy supports UBA’s goal to build resilient, self-reliant rural communities equipped to address current challenges and unlock new opportunities through entrepreneurship. Through research, capacity-building trainings and action-oriented projects, the SEG will empower and support UBA’s stakeholders, such as students, faculty and others to analyze livelihood patterns, design innovative interventions & strategies and implement scalable, inclusive rural entrepreneurship models for long-term sustainability.