• A Gender and Sanitation Study, commissioned by the University of Southampton, in two Municipalities adjoining the city of Hyderabad. The study was to examine the gender impact of the DFID (UK) funded APUSP on the implementation of the Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Programme (ILCS) of the state government and to identified the problems of poor women in urban slums in the face of inadequate sanitation infrastructure and services. ThinkSoft carried out the field work and analysed the findings.

• Kisan Vikas Kendra, Jammikunta: With the high incident of cotton farmer suicides in the state, the AP Government initiated the eSafal program to ensure proper and timely supply of quality agri-inputs at a fair price, imparting training to the farmers and enabling better market realization by aggregation and establishing preferential buying arrangements with leading cotton spinning mills. The project is being implemented in partnership with Prakasam Krishi Vigyan Kendra, a grass-root level NGO setup and supported by Indian Council for Agriculture Research. We have the support of the Government of Andhra Pradesh (grant for training), Syngenta (pesticides and technical know-how), JK Agri-genetics (seeds and technical know-how), Satyam Computer Services Ltd (software for aggregation and management) and Cheslind Spinning Mills Ltd (post-harvest technology and procurement).

• Andhra Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor is a $140 million project funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and implemented in 32 towns of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The project involves developing a Gender Strategy for the programme. Key components include ensuring a gender balance in project allocations and a monitoring system that keeps track of gender disaggregated data.

• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF International), commissioned a study on the status of the River Godavari, with special emphasis on the mid-basin, under its major initiative on availability and management of water resources in major river basins across the world. The study had a heightened relevance given that several controversial irrigation projects were being proposed both in the mid and upper reaches of the river. The study was a precursor to the ‘civil society’ dialogue on the use of surplus waters in the Godavari initiated by the Godavari Vedika (Godavari Forum).

• We have also undertaken studies on institutional arrangements for revival of MI tanks in AP, an initiative supported by the Command Area Development Authority (CADA), Department of Irrigation, GoAP; and to train farmers in more efficient use of available water resources. The training is centred on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) technology and ThinkSoft is coordinating the training activities for two canals, which irrigate 30,000 hectares.

• Our other major research projects have been for AP Forest Academy - Assessment of CFM processes; Care Delhi/FAO - Aligning local resources for livelihood promotion; BASIX - Maintenance of Financial diaries; and COVA - Paper on “Changing Perceptions of Communal Harmony”.