About Development Chapter

CONNECT  •  COLLABORATE  •  CATALYZE

Connecting people, organisations, knowledge, and opportunities to advance development and social impact.

Every Individual & Organisation has a journey. Every journey holds learning . Every learning has the power to inspire change and every collaboration intensify the Impact at scale

Development Chapter is envisioned as a collaborative development ecosystem that connects people, organisations, knowledge and opportunities to advance inclusive, sustainable and meaningful social development. The platform will bring together students, development professionals, NGOs, CSOs, social enterprises, academic institutions, researchers, CSR and philanthropic organisations, grassroots organisations and changemakers. Development Chapter seeks to create an ecosystem in which an organisation’s challenge can connect with an expert’s experience, a student’s aspiration can connect with an opportunity, a professional’s knowledge can strengthen an intervention, and a grassroots story can connect with the larger world.

Our Vision

To build a trusted and connected development ecosystem where people, organisations, knowledge, opportunities and stories come together to strengthen development practice and amplify social impact.

Our Mission

To create meaningful connections between development organisations, experienced professionals, students and newcomers, knowledge and wider audiences — enabling consultancy and technical support, professional opportunities, practical learning, knowledge exchange, collaboration, media visibility and cross-learning.

Who We Bring Together

Core Values

Every Effort Matters
We value the effort of individuals, communities and organisations working towards positive change, with dignity, choice and respect.
Collaboration Creates Change
We believe stronger and more sustainable outcomes emerge when people and organisations work together and learn from one another.
Knowledge Builds Better Development
We believe continuous learning, field experience, evidence and professional knowledge can improve the quality and effectiveness of development interventions.
Stories & Evidence Should Travel
We believe useful experiences, innovations, findings and stories of change should reach beyond their place of origin so that others can learn, adapt and be inspired.

What Makes Development Chapter Different

Development Chapter brings together functions that are often separated across different platforms. An organisation seeking technical support may also need talent, visibility and knowledge. A student seeking an internship may also need training and professional connections. An experienced professional may have expertise that can strengthen an organisation while also becoming a mentor, trainer or knowledge contributor. A successful field intervention can become a story, a learning resource and a model for cross-learning. Development Chapter therefore works as a connecting ecosystem: expertise supports organisations; organisations create opportunities; professionals and students exchange knowledge; field experiences become publications; and media carries useful learning to a larger audience.

Meet the Founders

Susmita Das | Co-Founder & Development Professional

Susmita Das holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, and has professional experience across Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. She has worked with organisations including PRADAN, SRIJAN, ASSHI and EHSAAS across grassroots development, project management, community institutions, counselling, child protection, youth development, government convergence, research and capacity building. Through Development Chapter, she contributes to organisational engagement, project support, partnerships, learning and knowledge-building initiatives.

Rajesh Parida | Co-Founder & Development Professional

Rajesh Parida is an Electrical Engineer turned Social Engineer. He holds a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from NIT Jamshedpur and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from IGNOU. His nearly eight years of experience with PRADAN in Banka, Bihar includes women’s livelihoods, community institution building, entrepreneurship, FPO promotion, livestock development, regenerative agriculture and GIS-based INRM and watershed planning. Through Development Chapter, he focuses on connecting development practice with technology, professional networks, knowledge, opportunities and media.

Long-Term Vision

Development Chapter aims to evolve into a trusted digital and professional ecosystem for the development sector. The long-term direction is to integrate the three pillars — organisational support, professional opportunities and learning, and media and knowledge exchange — through a technology-enabled platform.

  • A digital platform for development-sector jobs, internships and fellowships
  • Professional, expert and organisational profiles
  • Expert and consultant connections
  • Training, workshops and thematic learning resources
  • Internship and collaboration pathways for newcomers
  • Consultancy and technical-support connections for organisations
  • A knowledge hub for research, reports, tools, models and publications
  • Impact storytelling and organisational visibility
  • The Development Chapter Magazine
  • Technology-enabled tools and, over time, web/mobile services that make these connections easier and more accessible

The objective is not technology for its own sake. Technology will serve as the infrastructure that makes connections, knowledge exchange, opportunities and collaboration more accessible.