Tata Motors Foundation expands village development programme

Dharwad

Tata Motors Foundation has expanded its Integrated Village Development Programme (IVDP) to Belur Gram Panchayat in Dharwad district, aiming to strengthen livelihoods, improve access to essential services and empower local communities through better utilisation of government welfare schemes.

The programme was inaugurated by Dharwad Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhuvanesh Patil in the presence of Tata Motors Dharwad Plant Head Vijay Kumar Battu, local administrative officials and community members. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with BAIF and will cover Belur, Heggeri and Neeralkatti villages.

The programme seeks to address key developmental challenges in the villages, including limited employment opportunities, gaps in infrastructure, disparities in education and low participation of women in economic and community activities. Agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for a large section of the population, making livelihood diversification and sustainable income generation important priorities.

IVDP focuses on strengthening local institutions rather than relying solely on infrastructure development. The programme aims to improve coordination with central and state government schemes, address documentation-related gaps and strengthen the capacity of local bodies to ensure that eligible residents can access public welfare benefits.

Under its expansion in Karnataka, the programme will focus on agriculture, livelihoods, healthcare, education, infrastructure and local governance. It will also work towards improving community participation and enabling villagers to take greater ownership of their development priorities.

Tata Motors Foundation CEO Vinod Kulkarni said the programme demonstrated the importance of government-scheme convergence, public-private partnerships and community ownership in creating sustainable rural development. He said empowering Belur Gram Panchayat to lead its development agenda would help create a scalable and replicable model for rural development in Karnataka.

Launched in 2018, IVDP has expanded to nearly 200 villages across 103 Gram Panchayats in five states. During FY 2025-26, the programme benefited more than 1.15 lakh people and aligned with 50 government welfare schemes involving around Rs 20 crore. The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots governance and help communities independently access public resources and sustain development.