Swadeshi Movement in Kerala

The Swadeshi Movement is the direct outcome of the extension activities initiated by the Centre for Gandhian Studies of the University of Kerala under the directorship of Dr. Jacob Pulickan as an income generating programme. The first activity selected by the Centre was the Soap Making. It became very successful and this led to the starting of the training courses in Soap Products Making. Slowly these training courses became the best training programme in Kerala which necessitated the formation of a separate organisation for coordinating the Swadeshi training programmes, supply of raw materials and allied support items, starting of small production centres and door to door village level marketing network and the new organization,the Gandhi Centre for Rural Development came into being in 1998.The Gandhi Centre for Rural Development (GCRD) is registered as a Charitable Society in 2002 for spearheading the Swadeshi movement in accordance with the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi for the realisation of Gramaswaraj through Swadeshi and Self-reliance.

Composition of Gandhi Centre for Rural Development

1)Registered as a Charitable Society

2)25 Founder Members

3)52 Life Members

4)22 Institutional Members

5)4052 Ordinary Members

Composition of the Governing Body


1) Total Governing Body Members -13

2) 7 Numbers from the Founder Members

3) 2 Numbers from the Life Members

4) 2 Numbers from the Institutional Members

5) 2 Numbers from the Ordinary Members

6) The Term of Office Bearers is Five Years

Composition of Swadeshi Movement


1)Members of Gandhi Centre for Rural Development

2) State level and District level collaborating Agencies

3) Regional level collaborating Agencies

4) People who have completed the training programmes

5) Swadeshi Shoppies

6)Sympathisors and Supporters who supported the cause

Collaborating  Agencies

There are 18 Major Organizations collaborating with the GCRD in organizing the swadeshi work throughout the state of kerala and there are some regionalagencies also collaborating at the district level activities.