RANCHI, India — Jharkhand Charcha 2025, convened by The/Nudge Institute, MTMC and Manipal Foundation, brought together over 250 leaders from government, civil society, markets, and academia in Ranchi on September 23, 2025, to chart inclusive and scalable livelihood pathways for Jharkhand’s 33 million people – nearly a quarter of whom belong to tribal communities.
The convening emphasised that Jharkhand’s development cannot be shaped through fragmented interventions but must be built on systemic solutions that integrate economic security, social equity, and ecological sustainability.
Setting the tone, Smt. Dipika Pandey Singh, Hon’ble Minister, Rural Development, Rural Works & Panchayati Raj Department, Government of Jharkhand, emphasised the centrality of partnerships that must go beyond mobilising financial resources to harness the knowledge and lived experiences of diverse stakeholders. She highlighted the pivotal role of JSLPS Didis as change agents – women who not only access government programs for themselves but also enable their communities to benefit. Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society’s (JSLPS) primary goal is to promote livelihood in Jharkhand in order to alleviate poverty. By combining grassroots leadership with institutional collaboration, she noted, Jharkhand can accelerate its journey towards inclusive prosperity.
Building on this, Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, stressed that programs for solving extreme poverty must be tailored to ground realities. “We need ‘cash plus care’ models – grant-based support, continuous hand-holding and skill training.” He pointed to JSLPS innovations like UDAAN, Dakiya Yojana, and now UPAJ as examples of how Jharkhand is showing the way in reaching PVTGs and excluded households.
Agreeing on building livelihood models that are rooted in ground realities, Shri Charanjit Singh, IFS (Retd), former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, focused on the importance of designing models that are both contextual and market-ready. He added that at the same time, the state should actively create market linkages through marketing and branding.
A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the need to diversify livelihoods beyond traditional agriculture. Jharkhand’s rural economy must advocate for an integrated approach, especially in the face of climate shocks and market disruptions, combining crop cultivation with livestock management, non-farm enterprises, and services. Women’s pivotal role in livestock rearing and collective enterprises was highlighted, calling for greater investment in platforms such as FPOs and Pashu Sakhis.
The need to evolve from welfare to empowerment was stressed by Dr. Nitin Kulkarni, IAS, Addl. Chief Secretary to Hon’ble Governor of Jharkhand, who pointed to Jharkhand’s flagship Mukhyamantri Mayya Samman Yojana (JMMSY), which today reaches over 50 lakh women. He emphasized that cash transfers, when paired with skilling and enterprise opportunities, can catalyze agency and resilience.
Speaking on the role of technology in strengthening tribal livelihoods through resilient natural resource management, Shri Manish Ranjan, IAS, Director – SKIPA, GoJ, added that for tech to truly be an enabler, it should be open source, should work in areas with low connectivity, written in language accessible to people with low or no literacy level and in their own language.
The convening concluded with a policy note by Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur, IAS, Advisor, NITI Aayog. which consolidated the day’s deliberations into a roadmap for embedding equity and resilience into Jharkhand’s development priorities, reaffirming NITI Aayog’s commitment to supporting the agenda of working with the poorest of poor households.
Shri Harinarayan Sharma, CEO, Manipal Foundation, added, “Today we witnessed the power of transformation when economic inclusion, gender equity, women’s health, and climate resilience get woven into a single fabric of development. At MTMC and Manipal Foundation, we see ourselves as catalysts in building such platforms. Guided by the Manipal Group’s philosophy, we believe women’s health is pivotal to the holistic upliftment of the household and community. As a responsible Medical college in the region, it will be our endeavour to support such aspirational women with good health. Jharkhand Charcha 2025 reaffirms that inclusive prosperity is achievable when intent and institutions align for the greater good.”
Reflecting on the systemic insights that emerged, John Paul, Senior Director, Livelihoods Program, The/Nudge Institute, added: “Vulnerability, gender, and climate are not discrete categories; they are interlocking realities. If policy treats them as parallel streams, we risk deepening exclusion. Jharkhand, with its youthful demographic and strong institutions, can demonstrate how India builds inclusive prosperity at scale.”
As India looks toward Viksit Bharat@2047, Jharkhand Charcha 2025 underscored a critical truth: inclusive growth will not come from economic expansion alone, but from re-imagining development itself: rooted in equity, powered by collaboration, and led by those most often left behind.
