Born in a traditional Marwari family, Kamal Morarka, India's leading industrialist and philanthropist registered M.R. Morarka-GDC Rural Research Foundation in 1991 in memory of his father Late M.R. Morarka. The farsightedness, clarity of vision, thought and sound technical knowledge of the founders gave The Foundation humble but firm beginning in1994.
Unlike other voluntary organizations Morarka Foundation is into more than just the conventional areas of voluntary actions. We have often taken the lead to venture into new areas such as Organic Farming and Certifications, Agriculture Extension, Tourism Promotion, Waste Management, Vermi Compost and Conservation of Heritage Sites.
To supplement and strengthen extension efforts for creating wealth for the society, Morarka Foundation has always laid special emphasis on R&D for technology. Beginning with, recycling of farm waste through many traditional and modern methods, in 1995, it focused its efforts on the development and promotion of Vermiculture Technology. By the year 2000Morarka Foundation had become the single largest producer of Vermicast in the world. In ten years, Morarka Foundation has disseminated vermiculture know-howto over one million farm units in the country to create a combined annual production capacity of over seven million metric tons of Vermicast.
Development and promotion of Organic Agriculture began with 10,000 farm families from Nawalgarh in Rajasthan; today the existing program is spread over 15 states in India, covering over 250,000farm families. Every month, over 10,000 farm families are being added to make this initiative the single largest organic agriculture development and support program in the world.
To convert agriculture into agribusinesses, Information Technology applications in agriculture have been identified as a thrust area. Information Technology platforms have been developed to deliver Knowledge Management Services through integrated information and communication technology tools. In the effort to develop biotechnology applications for agriculture, the mandate has been expanded to include Scientific Waste Management and Recycling. Environment friendly technologies have been developed to recycle segregated solid waste and wastewater recycling.
Tourism Promotion in Shekhawati was identified to be an opportunity for creation of employment for rural youths. Beginning with the first Shekhawati Festival in 1995, today this event is recognized for Organic Farms and Food Festival across the country.
The initiatives to document the cultural heritage of Shekhawati, a major restoration and conservation effort is under progress since the last ten years. Today, it has become a model of Heritage Conservation in India.
Additionally, many-many more initiatives such as Watershed Development Program, Sheep and Wool Development Program, Skill Development for Diamond Cutting and Polishing, Eradication of Child Labour, Alternate Health & Family Welfare Service Delivery, Literacy & Primary Education, Food and Nutrition, etc. have also been successfully implemented.
The journey that began in 1993-94 has gone along way in the efforts to create wealth for the nation. Beginning from Nawalgarh, a small town located on the edge of great Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India covering about 10,000 target population, today with ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) becoming the backbone, it is serving a combined population of over one million households.