The United States and India are working together to promote global progress and achieve shared development goals around the world. As agreed in the U.S.-India Joint Statement, signed in June 2016, the U.S. and India share a common interest in working with partners across Africa and Asia to end extreme poverty and increase citizens’ access to quality health care, education, water and sanitation, and clean energy. 

ENSURING FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

Feed the Future India Triangular Training Program: USAID partners with the Indian Ministry of Agriculture’s premier institute — the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) — to train 1,500 agricultural practitioners from 11 African and 6 Asian countries on specialized farming practices to improve productivity and income. Phase I of the program trained 219 participants from Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi in agricultural marketing, dairy management, food processing and other best practices to prevent post-harvest losses. These farmers, food processors, extension workers, and policymakers are now implementing new farming practices that improve food and nutritional security in their countries and regions. Following the successes of these three countries, Phase II, launched in 2016, expanded to include training for hundreds of additional professionals, helping increase the agricultural stability of 17 target countries. A total of 44 training programs including 32 based in India and 12 based in the target countries will be completed by March 2020. As of September 2017, ten programs were implemented involving 289 trainees. 

Feed the Future India Africa Innovation Transfer Platform: USAID partners with the U.S. non-profit organization Technoserve to share and transfer innovative Indian soil and water management techniques – known as Khadins and Taankas – in Kenya and Malawi. These techniques helped local communities improve off-season crop production, provide water for their cattle, and explore options for growing additional fodder crops. In Kajiado county of Kenya, 97 million liters of run-off water holding capacity has been created to benefit over 400 masai tribal households. In Dedza district of Malawi, over 200 households benefited through taking a second crop due to construction of seepage wells demonstrating the benefits of these technologies for wider use.

India-Kenya Dairy Development Project: USAID is partnering with Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), a leading infrastructure development and financial services group, to transfer and pilot India’s successful smallholder dairy production and marketing business model to Kenya. The program has introduced and tested feed and fodder management best practices, as well as established a micro-milk processing unit in Nakuru County, Kenya, that increased milk production by more than 50 percent in the target communities where the model is being piloted.

Bullet Santi and Seed Dibbler: USAID supports the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) to transfer two- and three-wheel tractor “Bullet Santi,” Seed Dibblers, and food processors to Kenyan farmers. In India, these technologies have helped increase agricultural productivity and improved the resilience of more than one million households. SRISTI is forging new partnerships with the Kenyan private sector to transfer and deploy these same innovations in 10 counties of Kenya.

Transferring Indian innovations in drip irrigation, hybrid vegetable seeds and integrated pest management solutions to Kenya:  Feed the Future – Expanding Nepalese and Bhutanese Access to Indian Technologies for Agriculture (ENBAITA), implemented by iDE Nepal, works to transfer proven Indian innovations to smallholder farmers in Nepal. ENBAITA has facilitated linkages between Indian companies (Namdhari Seeds, Havel Azud, PCI, Tstanes) and Nepalese private sector importers and Community Business Facilitators to build an agricultural supply chain that provides last mile connectivity for farmers in Nepal.

IMPROVING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE

Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health + Adolescents Global Linkages Project: n 2016, USAID launched the Global Linkages project to facilitate the transfer and adoption of Indian innovations and best practices in family planning, child, and maternal health care to select African and Asian countries. The Global Linkages project tests and scales both public and private sector best practices and innovations. The project has mapped 50 of the most promising Indian health care innovations and interest of the innovators to partner in global transfer has been ascertained. The project has also completed country profiling and needs assessment of five Asian countries and outreach plans are being finalized. The Global Linkages project will be supporting USAID/Afghanistan mission and about 10 Indian and Afghanistan business enterprises to facilitate trade and investment collaborations in healthcare. 

EMPOWERING WOMEN

Afghan Women’s Empowerment Program: USAID partners with the Governments of India and Afghanistan to support the Self-Employed Women’s Association’s (SEWA) Afghan Women’s Empowerment Program. SEWA is an Indian women’s cooperative with more than 1.9 million members. In 2015, USAID awarded SEWA with a three-year grant to implement the second phase of a program focused on economically empowering needy Afghan women. Under this phase, SEWA is expanding its previous work with government and civil society stakeholders in India and Afghanistan to develop skills among women in five Afghan provinces. A total of 200 Afghan women will be trained as Master Trainers. Over 3,000 Afghan women will be trained in Afghanistan in vocational skills including embroidery, garment stitching, food processing, and jewelry making, as well as in leadership and marketing to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency. A Tripartite Statement of Principles was signed between the governments of Afghanistan, India, and the United States to outline the commitment of each government and ensure the smooth implementation of the project for the security of the implementing partners and beneficiaries. The local Afghan NGO Sabah Bagh-e-Khazana Social Association is being strengthened to manage and sustain the program in Afghanistan. As of June 2017, a total of 76 Master Trainers and 1,153 grassroots Afghan women have been trained in India and Afghanistan. 

PROMOTING CLEAN ENERGY

South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy Integration (SARI/EI):  The USAID/India-led SARI/EI works to promote cross-border electricity trade in South Asia to revitalize and accelerate regional economic development. Started in 2000, SARI/EI was instrumental in undertaking the groundwork for the now operational 500 megawatt (MW) transmission link between Bangladesh and India. The program also set the stage for the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member nations to adopt the Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement for Electricity Cooperation, and enabled the historic India-Nepal Power Trade Agreement to be signed. SARI/EI also facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding between India and Sri Lanka for a high capacity energy transmission interconnection, and supported a plan for building a transmission link between Nepal and India to substantially expand power trade.  SARI/EI has already helped avoid 848,738 tons of carbon emissions in the South Asia region. The program is now developing regional frameworks for enabling harmonization of policies, technical standards and market rules for regional power trade. It is also working closely with the Indian institutions to strengthen the capacity of counterpart institutions in Nepal and Bhutan through a variety of skills development programs.