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DISHA is a membership-based, non-governmental organisation, founded in 1985 and registered under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1958.

Disha’s mission is to empower the marginalized people by widening the scope and space of economic and social participation, and enable increased participation of the poor in mainstream governance and enterprise.

Disha has created new social institutions based upon the principles of equality, justice, equity and freedom, where all citizens become empowered stakeholders, thereby able to influence the formation and governance of state and corporate policies that affect their lives and livelihoods.

These community based institutions are robust and actively working to improve the economic and social conditions of poor and marginalised communities, including daily-wage labour, tribals, dalits, landless persons and women.

Over the years, DISHA has initiatied and supported various community-based processes, including the formation and strengthening of vilage-level groups such as issue-based groups, the un-organised workers associations, co-operatives, women’s groups and youth groups. Supported by its budget analysis and research activity, Disha works with the groups to build their capacities for self-analysis and self-advocacy in such a way that systems and strutcres of governance are more open, transparent and responsive to the needs of the poor. Moreover, all of DiSHA’s activities are inter-connected and complement each other.

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