श्री. गिरीश सोहोनी

Education:

• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management (1978 - 1980).
• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay - Bachelor of Technology - Mechanical Engineering (1972 - 1977).
• Indian Education Society's English Medium School, Bombay - Secondary School Certificate (1971).

Experience and contribution within BAIF:

Engaged in carrying out a variety of tasks which include:

• Strategic Planning for BAIF and associate organizations.
• Coordination of Projects for Sustainable Development of Natural Resources through Watershed Management, Water Resources Development and Conjunctive Use of Surface and Groundwater Sources through Peoples Participation.
• Project Planning and Execution of development projects for generation of rural livelihoods through interventions in the areas of agriculture and horticulture, watershed management, post harvest activities, renewable energy and training.
• Coordination and monitoring of research projects in Renewable Energy Technologies.
• Directing the post-harvest value-addition programme as a sequel to horticulturebased livelihoods
• Very closely involved in developing a holistic development programme concept in the form of BAIF’s Tribal Rehabilitation Programme. The rehabilitation programme focusses on generating opportunities for gainful self-employment for the tribal families in the vicinity of their hamlets. The programme touches diverse facets of the tribal life ranging from livelihood to health, and habitat to community organization.
• Anchoring the HRD initiatives.

Recognitions:

Awarded the “Distinguished Alumnus Award 2011” by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in recognition of outstanding contributions to Rural and Community Development.

Professional Experience:

• Village Production Systems: Directly involved in the conceiving, implementation and monitoring of holistic / integrated livelihood programmes covering village production systems. These have covered farm-based production, livestock based production and tree-based farming systems.
• Rural Agribusiness and Marketing: Worked through various programmes on introducing appropriate interventions to help producers move up the value chain. This has taken the shape of a programme to develop rural agri-business in the form of cooperative based post-harvest operations as well as small agribusiness units by individual entrepreneurs.
• Institution Building: Directly involved in the institutional development of BAIF Development Research Foundation from a primarily single sector organization to a multi-sectoral development organization with a number of interdisciplinary programmes.
• Handled as the Project Leader, the Institutional Support from IDRC, Canada to BAIF, which enabled BAIF to put in place a multi-sectoral applied development research programme, and initiate work in new directions. The programme was jointly sponsored by CIDA and IDRC.
• Directly involved in the institutional development of BAIF as a Resource Institution in the areas of Watershed Development, Tribal Livelihoods and Processing of farm produce, particularly mango, cashew and other fruit and nuts.
• Natural Resource Management and Livelihoods: Initiated the Watershed Development Programme in BAIF through an applied research project for the Conjunctive Use of Ground and Surface Water Resources in the Deccan Trap areas of Maharashtra. The watershed development programme in BAIF now covers over 0.4 Million hectares in six States of India. Worked closely with NABARD in setting up of the Tribal Development Fund. Instrumental in replication of the Tribal Development Programme under TDF, with BAIF as the Resource Support Organisation.

Membership:

• Member, Governing Board of various development organisations
• Member, Steering Committee, WDF, TDF/Natural Resource Management Centre set up by NABARD.

Consultancies:

Undertaken various Consultancy assignments for Programme Review, Strategic Planning, Exit Protocols, Institutional Development and Planning, etc. on behalf of IDRC-Canada, NRI-India, GITEC, Sir Ratan Tata Trust and others.