New Delhi, 21 November 2025 : Representatives of
the " la Caixa" Foundation and Development Alternatives visited
Mirzapur and Varanasi districts in Uttar Pradesh, to engage with women
entrepreneurs who are breaking social barriers and building sustainable
livelihoods through the Women-led Safe Mobility Initiative.
The two-day visit,
on 6th and 7th October 2025, marked a significant milestone in the decade-long
partnership between Development Alternatives (DA) and the "la Caixa"
Foundation through the Work4Progress programme, which focuses on job creation
by building entrepreneurial ecosystems with a social innovation approach.
In Mirzapur, the
delegation interacted with women e-rickshaw entrepreneurs of Aarya Groups,
village-level platforms where women support each other in their entrepreneurial
journeys. The delegation witnessed solidarity in action among women
entrepreneurs, and how through these brave spaces they help each other overcome
deeply entrenched social barriers to run e-rickshaw enterprises.
One of the
entrepreneurs, Parvati Devi from Arjunpur village, shared her journey:
"When I started driving an e-rickshaw two years ago, my husband and family
members questioned my decision. Today, I earn independently, my children go to
better schools, and I've inspired and trained many more women from my village,
even from Varanasi and Gorakhpur districts, to start driving e-rickshaws. The
Aarya Group gave me not just training support, but the confidence to break
social barriers."
The delegation also
visited the Aarya Manch, a district-level platform where different
stakeholders, including the women police department, traffic police, Road
Transport Office (RTO), banks, vendors, schools, and government agencies,
collaborate to support women e-rickshaw entrepreneurs. This multi-stakeholder
approach ensures that women entrepreneurs have access to the regulatory
support, financial services, and market linkages needed to sustain and grow
their businesses.
They also met with
the first woman entrepreneur to establish a Battery Charging Station Enterprise
in Mirzapur. Her innovative business provides lithium-ion batteries as a
service to e-rickshaw drivers, offering them a cleaner, more efficient, and
cost-effective energy solution. This ancillary enterprise demonstrates how the
Safe Mobility Initiative is creating a complete ecosystem of interconnected
livelihood opportunities. "Witnessing the remarkable entrepreneurial
spirit in Uttar Pradesh has been truly inspiring," said H.R.H. Infanta
Cristina, Director of the International Area at the “la Caixa” Foundation
"The Work4Progress programme exemplifies how collaborative partnerships
can create lasting pathways to prosperity. These entrepreneurs are not just
building businesses—they are transforming their communities and proving that
sustainable development is achievable when we invest in local solutions and
empower people with the right tools and support."
Kanika Verma,
Executive Vice President of Development Alternatives, stated: "Our
decade-long partnership with the "la Caixa" Foundation represents a
powerful model of how innovation, collaboration, and local action can address
India's livelihood challenges. Safe Mobility demonstrates that when women are
given the right support and collective platforms, they don't just build
enterprises—they challenge social norms and create ripple effects that benefit
entire communities."
The Women-led Safe Mobility
Initiative of DA, initially incubated in the Work4Progress programme of “la
Caixa” Foundation, and subsequently co-financed by Climate KIC, Fundacion ISS,
and Gates Foundation, works towards building conducive entrepreneurial
ecosystems that bring women to the forefront of mobility challenges, enabling
them to co-create new-age livelihood solutions such as women-led e-rickshaw
enterprises and ancillary businesses. The initiative is being scaled across
Uttar Pradesh through collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural
Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM), aligning with the government's efforts to promote
women's economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods.
As DA works toward
its mission to create 1 Million Livelihoods by 2030, initiatives like Safe Mobility
showcase how targeted interventions, when scaled through strategic partnerships
with government and philanthropic organizations, can create transformative
impact across India's underserved regions.
About Development
Alternatives (DA):
Development Alternatives
(DA) is a premier social enterprise pioneering sustainable development
solutions since 1982. Headquartered in New Delhi, the mission of the DA Group
is to promote inclusive, equitable, and resilient national development by
creating sustainable livelihoods at scale. DA’s work addresses the three
interconnected crises of our time, Jobs, Resources, and Climate through impact
across three core areas, Livelihood Security & Inclusive Entrepreneurship,
Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy and Climate Change & Ecosystem
Restoration. These goals are advanced through nine interlinked programmes:
Women’s Economic Empowerment, Inclusive Entrepreneurship Ecosystems, Greening
of Industry, Sustainable Urban Ecosystems, Natural Ecosystem Restoration, Resource
Access and Equity, Clean Technology Enterprises, Community Resource Management,
and Local Institutions & SDG Action. Over the past four decades,
Development Alternatives has positively impacted the lives of more than 20
million people, building pathways for sustainable and inclusive growth.