HDFC Bank, through its CSR programme Parivartan, is supporting farmers in Jammu and Kashmir through improved farming practices, processing infrastructure and better market access. Implemented in partnership with ISAP India Foundation and Citizens Foundation, the initiative aims to address challenges such as low productivity, climate variability, post-harvest losses and limited access to organised markets.
Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) supported under the programme collectively generate revenues of up to ₹5.2 crore, with one FPO reporting revenue of ₹1.4 crore. The initiative has also established SAMARKASH, a brand that helps FPOs market processed agricultural products through support for branding, packaging and market linkages.
Improving farming and processing facilities
Support includes solar water pumps, drip irrigation, mulching, particularly for saffron cultivation, and polyhouse farming. Processing facilities for apples, walnuts, saffron, Kashmiri red chilli, milk and traditional bakery products have also been equipped with solar dryers, cold storage and other machinery to improve preservation, reduce post-harvest losses and enable value addition.
The interventions are tailored to local agricultural activities. In Pampore, saffron farmers are receiving support through improved cultivation practices, solar water pumps, drying facilities, FPO development and market linkages.
Apple and walnut growers have access to grading, sorting and processing infrastructure to improve the handling and marketability of their produce. In Uri, interventions for Kashmiri red chilli farmers include polyhouse farming, drip irrigation and solar drying facilities to strengthen cultivation and post-harvest management, particularly in border communities.
Expanding rural livelihood opportunities
Beyond agriculture, Parivartan supports alternative livelihood opportunities, including skill development initiatives for women. In FY 2025–26, the programme extended its CSR coverage to 498 border villages across India, in line with national priorities under the Border Area Development Programme and the Vibrant Villages Programme.
Across its initiatives, Parivartan has reached more than 10.77 crore people in all 28 states and eight Union Territories. HDFC Bank spent ₹1,316.18 crore on CSR activities during FY 2025–26, taking its cumulative CSR investment under the programme to approximately ₹7,492 crore.
The programme aims to improve the annual incomes of five lakh low-income farmers through sustainable agricultural practices, collectivisation and stronger market linkages.
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