System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a set of farming practices developed to increase the productivity of paddy by increasing productivity factors that comprises land, water, labour and capital by utilizing less seed, less water and less chemical fertilizer. The involvement of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), Mumbai, in SRI promotion dates back to 2006, when the Trust piloted the methodology under its existing livelihoods programme. The appreciable success of the initial years and the encouraging studies of the report presented by an eminent rice scientist prompted the Trusts to start a full-fledged program on System of Rice Intensification in 2008. This program was launched as part of the Trust’s strategy to address the issue of food security at household level in rainfed areas for small and marginal farmers. The SRI Programme is coordinated by the SRI Secretariat which is hosted by Livolink Foundation. The Secretariat is involved in monitoring of the activities of the partners NGOs across the seven states of the country
where the SRI programme is in operation. Till the Rabi 2012-13 season, the SRI programme could reach to a total number of 1,76,847 poor and marginal farmers across 89,893.30 acres of land spanning across 65 districts in 7 states of the country. This has been accomplished mostly in rain-fed agricultural conditions.