Empowering rural communities in the long term can come through only local involvement and responsibility. Sri Sri Rural Development Trust was founded in 2001 with a vision to re-create the prosperity of rural India and provide permanent and alternative sources of income to the rural population.

The trust aims to empower the rural women, by imparting vocation training skills like agarbathi (incense stick) rolling and stitching and tailoring of jute bags. The women are also provided help in marketing and selling the finished products. Holistic development of the women has also been undertaken through the "Nav Chetana Shibir" programs, where they are taught breathing techniques, meditation and also social skills. Free annual Health check-up programs are conducted and health insurance is also provided to the families. Women are also encouraged to open savings accounts in local banks and post offices to better manage their finances.

Empowering Rural youth so that they begin to contribute actively to the country's economy is one of the biggest challenges in India today. The trust provides vocation training to the youth in the fields of electrical repairs, carpentry, welding and construction technology. Some other areas of training include information technology, agriculture, marketing and finance as well as training in dairy and organic farming. In addition, the personality development of the youth has also been undertaken through rigorous training programs that include yoga and breathing techniques, training in communication and presentation skills, and innovative assignments that target group dynamism and responding to challenging situation that they would come across in their lives.

The trust has reached out to thousands of women and youth through its programs. The women earn an average of Rs 100 a day, a significant boost to the family's income. Many of the youth who complete the programs have branched out on their own with the trust's support by starting their own small businesses.

The trust is currently looking to expand activities to include recycling, waste management and exploring options beyond incense sticks and jute bags to include products made from bamboo and cotton.