Our story
Rooted in India, reaching for a regenerative future
Bharat RCI was founded on the conviction that lasting change begins at the grassroots — where communities, knowledge, and nature meet.
How we began
Bharat RCI — the Research and Community Initiative — was born from a simple but urgent question: how do we build a resilient, self-reliant India that honours its ancient wisdom while embracing the demands of a modern world? Founded by Nagaraj Hegde and a circle of practitioners, educators, and farmers, the organisation grew out of years of field work across rural Karnataka and beyond. We saw communities struggling with digital threats they didn't understand, children without access to quality learning, farmers losing touch with the land, and ecosystems under quiet siege. We decided to act — not with charity, but with partnership.
Our philosophy
"True development is not imposed from above — it is cultivated from within."
We believe that every community already holds the seeds of its own flourishing. Our role is to create the conditions — the knowledge, the tools, the networks — for those seeds to grow. We draw on India's rich traditions of holistic living, integrating them with contemporary science and technology to build solutions that are both timeless and timely.
Founding values
Integrity
We act with transparency and accountability in everything we do.
Rootedness
Our work stays grounded in the lived realities of the communities we serve.
Collaboration
We build with communities, not for them — every voice matters.
Regeneration
We pursue solutions that restore and renew — people, land, and knowledge.
Courage
We take on hard problems because they are the ones that matter most.
Wisdom
We honour traditional knowledge as a living, evolving resource.
The people behind the mission
Bharat RCI is led by a small, dedicated team of practitioners who bring decades of combined experience across technology, education, agriculture, and public health.
Founder & Director
Nagaraj Hegde
A technologist and social entrepreneur with deep roots in Karnataka, Nagaraj has spent two decades bridging the gap between digital innovation and rural empowerment. His work in cybersecurity awareness and community education forms the backbone of Bharat RCI's mission.
Join us in building a resilient India
Whether you are an individual, an institution, or a community — there is a place for you in this work.