From grassroots revival to national scaling, Mayank Gandhi shares how Global Vikas Trust (GVT) is spearheading an agricultural revolution in India through GVT 2.0—anchored in sustainable practices and farmer-first education, beginning in Marathwada.
By Rusen Kumar
PARLI – Marathwada (India CSR): In a transformative conversation held in the heart of Marathwada, Maharashtra, Rusen Kumar—journalist, author, and Managing Editor of India CSR—spoke with Mayank Gandhi, the visionary behind Global Vikas Trust (GVT). From grassroots revival to national scaling, Mayank Gandhi opens up about how GVT is driving an agricultural revolution in India through GVT 2.0, sustainable practices, and farmer-first education.
Global Vikas Trust (GVT) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to transforming rural livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, water conservation, climate action, and hands-on farmer education. Based in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, which has long grappled with agrarian distress and farmer suicides, GVT has built a proven and scalable model of community-led transformation. Under the visionary leadership of Mayank Gandhi, the Trust has empowered thousands of farmers with practical knowledge, improved incomes, and restored hope. With the success of its flagship initiative, Krishikul—a farmer training ecosystem—GVT is now poised to replicate this model across India, igniting a nationwide movement for agricultural prosperity.
Excerpts from an Interview:
Q1: Mayank Gandhi, your journey with Global Vikas Trust began in 2016-17. What prompted you to dedicate your life to rural transformation, particularly in Marathwada?
Mayank Gandhi: In 2016, I visited Marathwada during one of its worst droughts. The sheer helplessness in farmers’ eyes moved me deeply. I saw not just parched land but broken spirits. I asked myself: if this is the situation in India’s heartland, how can we talk about progress?
The challenges were clear—water scarcity, poor soil health, lack of practical knowledge, and no market access. I believed that by addressing these core issues and empowering the farmer with the right tools and knowledge, we could create a movement for rural prosperity.
That’s how Global Vikas Trust (GVT) was born—not just as an organization, but as a vision to rebuild India from its roots.
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Q2: You’ve identified five critical challenges faced by farmers. Can you walk us through them and how GVT is tackling each one?
Mayank Gandhi: Absolutely. These are the five pillars of our work:
- Water Scarcity – We’ve revived rivers, widened canals, and enabled 4 billion liters of water harvesting through community-driven models.
- Government Scheme Accessibility – Many schemes never reach the farmer or are poorly implemented. We act as the bridge, guiding farmers to avail these benefits.
- Soil Degradation – We focus on soil testing, rejuvenation, and natural farming methods to restore productivity.
- Lack of Market Linkages – Farmers don’t know where or how to sell profitably. We connect them directly with buyers, removing middlemen.
- Knowledge Gap – Perhaps the biggest challenge. Farmers need practical, localised, and timely education. Not textbooks—training in the field, for the field.
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Q3: That leads us to Krishikul. What is it, and why is it being called a game-changer for Indian agriculture?
Mayank Gandhi: We’ve built GVT Krishikul, a 100,000 sq. ft. farmer training campus located on 25 acres of model farmland in Parli Vaijnath, Marathwada. It is the beating heart of our mission. Our approach is very different from traditional agri-institutes. A farmer’s son may go to an agri-college, spend four years, and take up a job in the city. But the farmer himself remains untrained. That’s the gap we’re bridging.
At Krishikul, we train farmers in simple, actionable, hands-on knowledge: how to grow bananas or mulberries, how to protect crops, how to regenerate soil, and how to market produce. Starting in April, we’re launching monthly courses with 1000–1500 farmers per month. Farmers are already arriving from across India—50 visitors a day even before formal classes begin.
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Q4: What are some of the key topics being taught at Krishikul?
Mayank Gandhi: At GVT Krishikul, each classroom session is designed around a specialized and practical theme that addresses the most pressing needs of farmers. Topics include banana cultivation for high returns, sericulture using mulberry, soil health management, pest and disease control, water conservation techniques, post-harvest processing and value addition, and marketing and sales strategies.
These are not generic topics—they’re based on real needs. For instance, insect, virus, and bacterial attacks happen frequently because farmers don’t know how to manage them. Similarly, healthy soil is non-negotiable for healthy crops. No one teaches this in colleges. We do—on the farm, with real-time experience.
For example, insect, virus, and bacterial attacks are common but poorly understood by farmers due to a lack of scientific training. Similarly, declining soil health is a critical issue—without fertile soil, there is no productive farming. While traditional education often overlooks these core issues, Krishikul fills this gap by offering direct, on-the-field learning. The aim is to empower farmers with actionable knowledge that can immediately enhance their productivity and income, making them more resilient and self-reliant.
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Q5: You mentioned GVT 2.0. What does that signify? How is it different from GVT 1.0?
Mayank Gandhi: GVT 1.0 was focused on a single geography—Marathwada, our pilot phase. It was about validating our model: could we really transform rural lives? We wanted to test whether our model of farmer empowerment—centered on knowledge, sustainability, and market linkage—could bring real transformation. It was about building trust with local communities and validating whether structured interventions could significantly improve livelihoods.
GVT 2.0 is about scaling. Over time, we saw remarkable results. An independent study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) confirmed a 10X increase in farmer incomes, which gave us the confidence that the model works. With GVT 2.0, our aim is to replicate Krishikul and our practices in every state, every district—to create a national movement for farmer empowerment. This is the next agricultural revolution, and it’s knowledge-driven. This is not just growth—it’s about creating a knowledge-driven agricultural revolution that empowers small and marginal farmers to become self-reliant, prosperous, and at the heart of India’s rural resurgence.
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Q6: That’s an ambitious vision. What has been the overall impact of GVT so far?
Mayank Gandhi: Over the past six years, Global Vikas Trust has made measurable strides in transforming rural India. We’ve achieved a 10X increase in farmer incomes, a milestone independently verified by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Our outreach now spans over 26,000 farmers across 4,600 villages in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
Through community-driven initiatives, we’ve harvested more than 4 billion litres of water, restoring local ecosystems and ensuring water security. To fight climate change and boost farmer incomes, we’ve planted over 5 crore fruit trees. Our flagship training center, the Krishikul campus, is fully operational with structured, practical learning modules.
We’ve built a strong foundation in Marathwada, one of India’s most distressed agrarian regions. Recently, GVT was listed at Rank 77 on the NSE Social Stock Exchange, a recognition that enhances our credibility, ensures transparency, and makes us investment-ready for corporations and philanthropists who wish to drive lasting impact in rural India.
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Q7: What role do corporates and CSR play in this rural transformation journey?
Mayank Gandhi: A huge role. India Inc. is waking up to the fact that real impact means changing lives, not just building infrastructure.
We’re fortunate to be backed by Motilal Oswal Foundation, L&T, HDFC Bank, UPL Ltd, Bajaj Electricals, VIP Industries, Borosil, Ajanta Pharma, Alkem Foundation, EY, Shapoorji Pallonji, and more than 100 leading corporates. These organizations are not just funding us—they’re partnering in nation-building.
We invite more corporates to join us. Our Social Stock Exchange listing brings credibility and monitoring, and we can co-create district-level Krishikuls in their operating areas. It’s high-impact, scalable, and measurable.
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Q8: How do you mobilize farmers to participate in your programs?
Mayank Gandhi: We already have a network of over 30,000 farmers who have purchased saplings from us and earned significant income increases. These farmers trust us because we walk with them in the field, not from air-conditioned offices. They’re now ready for the next step—advanced, specialized training. We reach out to them via WhatsApp groups, calls, and field visits. The word is spreading fast, and interest is pouring in from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and beyond.
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Q9: What message do you have for policymakers and civil society?
Mayank Gandhi: We don’t need to reinvent the wheel—we just need to fix the spokes. The government has policies, and resources are available, but there’s a massive gap in on-ground delivery. That’s where corporate India can make a difference. We urge them to adopt Krishikul-like models in their operational areas, invest in soil health and water security, and support farmers not just with subsidies, but with knowledge and capacity building. By encouraging agri-based local entrepreneurship and value chains, they can help build a self-reliant rural economy. This is not just CSR—it’s a strategic, long-term investment in India’s agricultural future.
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Q10: Lastly, what keeps you motivated in this long, demanding journey?
Mayank Gandhi: The true reward for me is seeing the spark in a farmer’s eye when he says he’s bought a motorbike for his son or built a pucca house after years of struggle. That’s the kind of transformation that keeps me going. At GVT, we’re not just growing crops—we’re cultivating confidence, dignity, and hope. Our goal is to revive India’s glorious rural legacy, where villages were self-reliant, thriving, and respected. We believe this is possible through knowledge, action, and collective effort. The time for change is now—because, as I always say, “India Can Wait No More.”
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About Rusen Kumar
Rusen Kumar is a renowned journalist in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability, and the Founder and Managing Editor of India CSR—India’s largest and most influential CSR and sustainability media platform. He is currently on a week-long grassroots journey across the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, engaging directly with farmers, and closely studying agrarian challenges, rural development models, and impactful solutions on the ground. Through his fieldwork and interactions, he aims to highlight transformative efforts in agriculture and bring national attention to the urgent need for rural empowerment and sustainable livelihood solutions.
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