Established in 1974 in Chicago with a handful of immigrant students who came to the United States for a brighter future, India Development Service (IDS) provides funding to NGO partners in India to uplift marginalized communities who are often left behind by the country’s booming economic growth.

IDS espouses the philosophy that each human being, no matter how poor or disadvantaged, is endowed with the capacity to form and act upon an intelligent conception of their own life. It is the role of organizations like IDS to provide opportunities that allow individuals to realize this potential.

Opportunity, not Charity remains IDS’ guiding motto.

IDS takes a holistic approach to empowering disadvantaged communities so they can become self-reliant and live with dignity. Even before the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), IDS was at the forefront of supporting initiatives across education, health, agriculture, environmental protection, water and natural resource management, girls’ and women’s empowerment, gender equality, and income generation — all as part of a comprehensive vision for human development.

Over the last 50 years, IDS supported over 270 projects across 18+ states and impacted the lives of over 5 million people.