SRISTI was created to provide institutional support up to the activities of the Honey Bee Network. Since 1993, the year of its inception, SRISTI has not only intensified the initiatives of the Honey Bee Network, but also has diversified many of its activities. SRISTI, which began with the focus on unearthing grassroots creativity, innovation and traditional knowledge, today is an international player in the field of entrepreneurship promotion, intellectual property rights, knowledge dissemination pertaining to traditional knowledge & creativity, promoting policy favouring innovations and local knowledge, organic farming etc.
All throughout these years, SRISTI has focused upon the issue of establishing some sort of synergy between innovations that promote conservation of bio-diversity and other natural resources and the concerns of ethics, excellence, equity and environment. SRISTI has been able to upgrade its standing and legitimacy among the policy makers, intellectuals and grassroots innovators alike and at the root of such wide acceptance lies the activities of the organization. Following are the major activities of the organization.
SCOUTING, DOCUMENTATION & DISSEMINATION
The activity focuses upon scouting and documenting unique grassroots innovations and traditional practices from various parts the country and sharing the learning from such innovations and practices with the wider audience.
VALIDATION & VALUE ADDITION
The activities aim at developing the herbal formulations derived from the grassroots practices into viable, user-friendly and marketable products through proper research and development.
POLICY ANALYSIS & ADVOCACY
The activities aim at bringing about policy level changes and incorporating more fovourable policy regimes for the promotion of grassroots innovations and practices.
CAMPAIGNING & AWARENESS BUILDING
The activities focus upon generating awareness and building public opinion about grassroots innovations and traditional practices, organic farming etc.
AASTIIK
It aims at creating a virtual and real knowledge community of professionals and experts in the field of invention, innovation and traditional knowledge.
THE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES
The activities aim at scouting, documenting, encouraging and supporting innovative means of teaching children about the subjects and building awareness about the rich bio-diversity around them.
ICT INITIATIVES
The activities focus upon integrating the services of information and communication technology with the concern of building the knowledge network to connect grassroots innovators and traditional practitioners across the boundary of region, language and culture.
NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The activities focus upon validating and initiating innovative means of conservation of nature and bio-diversity.
GRASSROOT INNOVATIONS FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT (GRIID PROJECT)
- Understanding factors for the emergence, existence and successful functioning of GRIs within the NIS study
- Institutional environment for promoting GRI
- Capacity building of individual and institutional actors for upscaling and promoting GRI
EDUCATION
The Children’s Creativity and Co-creation workshops empower children to not only identify and articulate their problems as well as that of socially disadvantaged segments, but also to find solutions individually and collectively. Involvement of children in solving the social challenges faced by them and others would help us mobilise the creative potential of children around the world.
TECHNOLOGY
Techpedia, an initiative at SRISTI aims at putting the problems of micro, small and medium enterprises, informal sector, grassroots innovators and other social sectors on the agenda of the young technology students across the country. For over last sixty years, India has not utilized much the technological outputs of millions of students. But no more.