Vikas Choudhary (Rural Non-Farm Development Agency, Jaipur)

Vikas Choudhary
Project Manager
Rural Non-Farm Development Agency
Jaipur, INDIA

Mailing Address:
D-94, Pavan Path
Hanuman Nagar
Jaipur - 302021, Rajasthan, INDIA 

phone: 91/141-352038 (residence)
Fax:   91/141-383906
email: choudharyvikas@usa.net
email: vicky@jp1.dot.net.in

Description of work:

Project Manager, Rural Non Farm Development Agency, since June, 1998.

Rural Non Farm Development Agency was established by Government of
Rajasthan for promoting rural micro-enterprises in the State on a
sub-sectoral basis in November 1995 on the basis of the recommendations of
the study group of the Rural Non Farm sector. Three sub-sectors viz.,
leather wool and minor minerals were identified on the basis of the
comparative advantage of the resource availability in the state for
promotion. RUDA is the first agency of its kind in the Country to promote
Small and Microenterprises, as tools for poverty alleviation on a
sub-sectoral cluster based approach.

As one of the first few professionals to join the agency during its
inception period. I was particularly involved in the initial structuring
and development of the agency to its present form. My responsibilities
includes:

* Undertaking sub-sectoral analysis to identify critical bottlenecks
affecting the growth of each sub-sector. 
* Designing strategies, formulating action plans for the growth of the
sub-sectors and promoting rural micro enterprises. 
* Building systems and norms for promotional schemes under the three
sub-sectors. 
* Networking and liasioning with principal actors of RNFS promotion
including prominent voluntary agencies, Government departments, technical
& design institutions, trade associations, national & international donor
agencies & private sector agencies 
* Implementation of sector-specific projects.  
* Assisting voluntary agencies / artisan groups in project formulation &
implementation of projects including framing of evaluation parameters for
the projects.  
* Monitoring and appraising various projects funded by RUDA. 
* Capacity building of NGOs / Rural enterprises/Khadi agencies
especially in the field of marketing .
* Training SHGs / artisan groups in book keeping, accounts and other
micro-finance aspects.  
* Review & evaluation of specific projects in association with partner
institutions.

1. "Contributory Training Programme(CTP)" : Responsible for designing and
implementation of a technology focused project aimed at making
productivity enhancements to leather tanning operations through transfer
of appropriate technologies with contributions from the tanners .

2. Training programmes : Conducted skill reorientation training programmes
for partially employed and unemployed youth in making alternate products
out of the vegetable tanned leather. The project involved training,
develop sustainable networks for trained persons and linking them to the
markets.

3. UNDP sponsored "Operation Mojri" project: Team member for a UNDP
sponsored project. Provided techno-design , organizing and marketing
inputs aimed at improving the quality of ethnic "mojri" footwear and their
by augmenting the incomes of poor artisanal household by mainstreaming
their products.

4.Dholpur cluster development project: The project aimed at transforming a
peri-urban cluster of low end contemporary footwear to high end footwear
cluster by providing them technical, design and marketing support .

5.Establishment of Common Facilities Centres for leather workers : Team
member on a project aimed at augmenting incomes of traditional leather
workers by organizing them into groups and providing access to common
facilities. These facilities include carcass processing, vegetable tanning
and designing western footwear.

6. Network Broker Project:  Participated in this action research
initiative of Development Alternative Incorporation (DAI) under the Micro
Enterprises Best Practices(MBP) project.

7. Buyer-Seller Meet Organized a buyer seller marketing opportunity in
Jaipur that generated orders to the tune of Rs. 800,000 for rural artisans
and facilitated networking between local producers and national buyers
from all over India.

8. "Registan - Colours of the Desert" and "Ship Sangam", ": Assisted in
organizing two retail events in association with a Dastakar, a Delhi based
handicrafts center, and the Department of Rural Development, Government of
India.

9.Organised number of product and design development workshop with various
national level institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology
(NIFT) and National Institute of design (NID) for the rural producers of
Rajasthan.

May 1997- July 1997 :

Worked with XIDAS (Xavier Institute of Development Action and Studies), a
voluntary organisation for formulating micro enterprises strategy to
promote non wood forest produce based microenterprises for the poor
tribals of Jabalpur District in Madhya Pradesh. ( Part of IIFM curriculum)

Consultancy 

1. Micro Enterprises Strategy for Integrated Population Development
Programme: Formulated strategies for micro-enterprises for UNFPA sponsored
gender specific micro-enterprises project in two districts of Rajasthan
with special focus on , gender issues and capacity building of women for
taking up micro enterprise activities successfully. (Coordinator of RUDA
team) 2001

2. District Poverty Initiative Project : Co-authored a study that outlined
a strategy for microenterprise development in 7 poorest districts of
Rajasthan for the World Bank sponsored project,1999

3. Women "empowerment through sustainable micro enterprise UNIFEM
Rajasthan Leather Pilot project in the Asia Pacific Region . (A
freelancing consultancy assignment for UNIFEM with Jayati Ghosh),2000

4. CARE India - (DEC Project) Livelihoods restoration as a part of
Rehabilitation project for the Bhuj earthquake victims 2001 (Freelancing
consultancy assignment )

5. Technical Need Assessment Study, Pokaran Pottery Project, Khadi &
Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Govt. of India, 2000

6. Study of Tikamgarh stone Pyrophyllite stone centre for Madhya Pradesh
Khadi and Village Industries Board (MPKVIB) 2000.

Workshops & Teaching Experience 

1. Invited as resource person by UNIDO and Madhya Pradesh Government for
the Workshop on Cluster Development approach.

2. Organised Marketing orientation workshops for 15 Khadi societies of
Rajasthan.

3. Resource person in Micro Enterprise development for the orientation
workshops conducted by "Indira Gandhi Sansthan for Panchati Raj and Rural
development" in for field level workers.

4. Organised Facilitation workshop for grassroots micro entrepreneurs for
CEDECECON, a grass root NGO. (A consultancy assignment with Udyogini,
National NGO working for women Micro entrepreneurs).

5. Orgainised and resource person for State Formulated, organised, and was
a resource person for a state level workshop on the Cluster Development
concept for grassroots officers from 20 districts of the Govt. of
Rajasthan's Industries Department.

6. Training on Micro Enterprise For Friends of Women World Banking (FWWB)
Partners- Team leader and key speaker for the 5 days workshop for
orienting Managers of voluntary organizations of the states of Tamilnadu,
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in various facets of Micro Enterprise
Development (Freelancing consultancy assignment)

Publications : 

1. District Poverty Initiatives Project (DPIP) Microenterprise Strategy,
World Bank-Govt. of Rajasthan, 2000

2. Women Enterprise Development Strategy, United Nations Fund for
Population Activities (UNFPA), 2001

3. Technical Need Assessment Study, Pokaran Pottery Project, Khadi &
Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Govt. of India, 2000

4. Manoharpur: Bashir Ustad's legacy Lives on; Woolways, Central Wool
Development Board, Govt. of India, Vol. 10, no. 4, Oct-Dec 2000.

Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management (PGDFM)  (Equivalent to
M.B.A.) : Essentially a management course with orientation towards rural
development and natural resource management.
June 1996 to March 1998
GPA 3.31/4.33. 

Rajasthan University, Jaipur 
Bachelors Degree in Geography
July 1993 to may 1996
First Class (~ 70%)