Livelihood is paramount in middle-income countries like India as it directly influences economic stability, social well-being, and overall development.
Livelihoods form the foundation of economic, social, and environmental progress in middle-income countries, driving sustainable development and improving quality of life. With this vision, Livelihood Alternatives (LA) was established to create an empowering ecosystem for rural enterprise and entrepreneurship.
As a social enterprise, LA is dedicated to empowering rural communities through livelihood opportunities that are Sizeable, Scalable, and Sustainable. By 2026, LA aims to positively impact 1,00,000 households across Odisha through its innovative & inclusive “6C” approach — Capacity-Building, Collectivization, Convergence, Commercialization, Collaboration, and Community Outreach.
While individual efforts in agriculture and rural development in Odisha have shown promise, many collective initiatives struggle to sustain momentum beyond project periods. LA addresses this gap by providing continuous mentorship, managerial support, and technical guidance to strengthen long-term sustainability.
To maximize impact, LA collaborates with enterprises, academic institutions, technology firms, procurement agencies, agro-support providers, and government schemes. Through these partnerships, LA seeks to unlock the potential of Odisha’s rural communities and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable future.
Our Presence
.png)
.png)
OUR TEAM
Our CMD & Directors
Mr. Sambit Tripathy
CMD
As an ex-Indian Revenue Service officer, Sh. Sambit Tripathy served in the Government of India for 22 years. Before opting for VRS, he worked in different ministries including Department of Income tax, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He has a MA and M. Phil in Sociology from JNU and is a LLB graduate from Delhi University.
Mr. Swayam Baral
Director
A 1st generation entrepreneur, Swayam Prakash Baral has 16 years of experience of working in the social sector with specialized work in various domains of renewable and clean energy, IT solutions, and rural industry. He holds a Master’s in International Business from Stirling University, United Kingdom, Bachelor’s in Commerce and LLB from Utkal University. With educational and work experience in UK, Italy and Sweden; Swayam brings digital technology competence to LA
Mr. Ratnakar Panigrahi
Director
Ratnakar Panigrahi has over 20 years of social sector experience in conducting action research, designing learning interventions, and implementing decision support systems. He holds a Masters in Sociology from Utkal University, and has studied entrepreneurship at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. His vast experience in facilitating training and technical support assignments across the world helps bring in a project strategy and implementation experience to our enterprise.
Our Advisors
Dr. K.P. Krishnan
Dr. Krishnan is a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Karnataka cadre, with Ph.D. in economics from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore. He served the Government of India in different capacities and retired as Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Presently, he is Professor in National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).
Mr. Abhijit Mitra
PGDM, IIM C - Public Policy 25+ years of experience in leading large-scale operations, programs, and multi-stakeholder initiatives across Education, Skill Development, Healthcare & Insurance verticals. Leads state / national -level programs from ideation to delivery.
Mr. Satish Marathe
Shri Marathe is a pioneer in the Cooperative Sector. He is the founder member of the largest NGO in the cooperative Sector in the country, Sahakar Bharati. Some of the distinguished posts held by him include Chairman and CEO of The United Western Bank Ltd, CEO of Janakalyan Sahakari Bank Ltd. and Hon. Secretary of Indian Banks’ Association. Presently, he is also the Director of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and is part of Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Monali C. Mohanty
M.Sc., M.Phil. (Chemistry), Utkal University. With over 15 years of entrepreneurial and administrative experience, Monali contributes in community outreach, livelihood enhancement, and initiatives focused on empowering marginalised communities and promoting sustainable development.
Sri Sukanta Kumar Nanda
Sri Sukanta Kumar Nanda is an IIT Kanpur alumnus (B.Tech and M.Tech), accomplished technology entrepreneur, and US patent holder (awarded during his tenure at Microsoft) with extensive expertise in architecting large-scale enterprise applications. He previously served as an Advisor and Mentor at the AI and HPC Research Center (AHRC) at IIT Bhubaneswar and is currently spearheading a startup - Shelduck AI Systems Pvt Ltd, focused on fully autonomous drones for Crop-loss prevention. Alongside his corporate and technical ventures, he is dedicated to philanthropic leadership, serving as an Advisor to the Amritdhara Palliative Care Trust and General Secretary of the Cancer Volunteers Odisha organization.