Local Economic Development Society (LEDS) Information

LEDS would work for the economic empowerment of small producers and micro-entrepreneurs by assisting them in capacity building and in establishing enterprises and collectives of excellence, using market based strategies and by making available professional management and incubation services. It is estimated that 50-60% of microenterprises established as livelihood interventions in India does not reach breakeven levels and tend to become defunct after a few years of operation. Even a majority of the ones that survive do not generate adequate profits, and therefore do not make meaningful contribution to very purpose for which they were established. This scenario poses a challenge to the logic of using microenterprises as tool for poverty alleviation. The most critical area where intervention is needed is in creating mechanisms that nurtures and promotes enterprises through a process of mentoring and handholding in functions related to planning and operations. Many of these functions- Planning, Technology, Finance, Marketing, Sales & Human Resource management- are specialised in nature, and small enterprises often do not possess the wherewithal to execute them effectively. As such, there was a need for an agency that incubates the enterprises by executing these functions for them, till such time as they would become independent and self sustaining. LEDS was created to execute this role.