Intrinsically woven into India's tradition & culture, philanthropy has perpetuated itself down the ages. Born in a traditional Marwari family, Kamal Morarka, India's leading industrialist and philanthropist registered M.R.Morarka-GDC Rural Research Foundation in 1991 in memory of his father Late M.R.Morarka funded by M/s. Gannon Dunkerley & Company Ltd.

The farsightedness, clarity of vision and thought and sound technical knowledge of the founders gave The Foundation humble but firm beginning in 1994. With the rural support programme The Foundation has grown over the years.

Unlike other voluntary organizations Morarka Foundation is into more than just the conventional areas of voluntary actions. We more often than not take the lead to venture into new areas such as Organic Farming and Certifications, Agriculture Extension, Tourism Promotion, Waste Management, Vermi Compost, Conservation of Heritage etc.

For the implementation of an intervention The Foundation restricts its role to that of a catalyst, coordinator and facilitator, encouraging necessary participation of the rural community and entrepreneurs.

The journey that began in 1993-94 has gone a long way in the efforts to create wealth for the nation. Beginning from Nawalgarh, a small town located on the edge of great THAR-DESERT in Rajasthan, India covering about 10,000 target population, today with ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) becoming the backbone, it is serving a combined population of over one million households.

To supplement and to strengthen extension efforts for creating wealth for the society, Morarka Foundation has always laid especially emphasis on R&D for technology. Beginning with, recycling of farm waste through many traditional and modern methods, in 1995, it focussed its efforts in the development and promotion of Vermiculture Technology. By the year 2000 Morarka Foundation had become the single largest producer of Vermicast in the World. In ten years, Morarka Foundation has disseminated vermiculture know-how to over one million farm units in the country to create a combined annual production capacity of over seven million metric tonnes of Vermicast.

Development and promotion of Organic Agriculture began with 10,000 farm families from Nawalgarh in Rajasthan; today the existing program is spread over 15 states in India, covering over 250,000 farm families. Every month, over 10,000 farm families are being added to make this initiative to become the single largest organic agriculture development and support program in the World.

To convert agriculture into agribusinesses, Information Technology applications in agriculture have been identified as a thrust area. Information Technology platform/s has been developed to deliver Knowledge Management Services through integrated information and communication technology tools. Very sophisticated and advanced IT applications have been developed for quality certification (www.agri-infotech.com) and internet based marketing of organic produce (www.organicfoodmarketing.com).

In the efforts to develop biotechnology applications for agriculture, the mandate has been expanded to include Scientific Waste Management and Recycling. Environment friendly technologies have been developed to recycle segregated solid waste and waste water recycling.

Morarka Foundation headquarter being located in Shekhawati, where out migration being a way of life, poor in the area have also been found to be affected by HIV-AIDS. In the year 2000-01, beginning with collaboration with RSACS and subsequent tie-ups with international agencies, an innovative model of change has been introduced.

Microfinance has been developed as a tool to achieve social and economic objectives in rural areas. In Shekhawati alone many social sector services are being delivered through 200 Self Help Groups (SHGs). Across the country 20,000 SHGs are being formed for value addition activities in agriculture.

Tourism Promotion in Shekhawati was identified to be an opportunity for creation of employment for rural youths. Beginning with the first Shekhawati Festival in 1995, today this event is recognized for Organic Farm/s and Food Festival across the country.

The initiatives to document the cultural heritage of Shekhawati, a major restoration and conservation efforts is under progress since last ten years. Today, it has become a model of Heritage Conservation in India.

Additionally, many-many more initiatives such as Watershed Development Program, Sheep and Wool Development Program, Skill Development for Diamond Cutting and Polishing, Eradication of Child Labour, Alternate Health & Family Welfare Service Delivery, Literacy & Primary Education, Food and Nutrition, etc. have also been successfully implemented.


Mr. Mukesh Gupta
Executive Director