Despite the ecological and economic importance of rainfed areas—which support nearly 51% of India’s cultivated land and a large share of marginal farmers—the sector remains significantly underfunded by Indian philanthropic and CSR actors. In contrast, international donors have consistently invested in rainfed agriculture through long-term, systems-level support in areas like agroecology, climate adaptation, and community-led resource management. Meanwhile, Indian CSR and philanthropic contributions remain limited, often focused on short-term, infrastructure-heavy projects.

Indian donors tend to prioritize sectors with visible, quick-turnaround impacts—such as education, healthcare, and skilling—while rainfed agriculture requires deeper engagement, trust-building in remote regions, and tolerance for complexity. When CSR does support agriculture, it rarely moves beyond input distribution or asset creation, failing to invest in institutional strengthening. This underinvestment is especially concerning given the urgent need to address poverty, climate vulnerability, and nutrition security in rainfed regions..

Given these challenges, it is amongst the first dometic philanthropic organisations dedicated to support such organisations and networks they are part of to further the rainfed issues.