2nd-4th October 2026
A Living Space for Practical Ideas
For decades, we’ve been taught that constant consumption and profit are the only ways forward, often at the cost of our communities and environment. But across India, people are proving every day that another way is possible, through sustainable farming, local enterprises, clean energy, and shared care.
The Festival of Alternatives isn’t a typical conference held in a sterile hall; it is an open invitation to connect, share, and build together. Gathered at our green, living campus in Tara, Panvel, we are bringing together farmers, young changemakers, artisans, social entrepreneurs, and institutions to skip the hierarchy and scale ideas that truly put people and planet first.
Grassroots Mela & Artisan Expo
The chance to explore curated stalls showcasing homegrown crafts, organic produce, sustainable products, and village enterprises.
Hands-On Workshops
You can engage in immersive experiences that includes covering natural dyeing, pottery, permaculture food forest walks, charkha operation, and circular economy practices.
Intriguing Panels & Dialogues
Bold and value-added conversations that will make you rethink renewable energy access, food systems, climate action, and radical alternatives.
Culture, Film & Street Theatre
An experience via storytelling, Nukkad Natak, film screenings and evening cultural performances celebrating harmony and community spirit.
Youth Interaction
Exposure for the generation of young changemakers, to get a fresh insight of alternatives, sustainable systems and art that speaks volume.
Children’s Hub
To be in a space designed specifically to spark curiosity, communal harmony, and creative action among young minds.
Cross-Pollinate Ideas:
We often work in silos: farmers, corporate CSR leaders, technologists, activists, and youth rarely sit at the same table. This festival breaks down those walls so we can learn directly from one another.
Experience Solutions in Action:
Rather than discussing theories in abstract spaces, you’ll be walking through a campus where sustainable rural development and community care have been practiced for over sixty years.
Build Lasting Collaborations:
Whether you are looking to share your work, support a project, or find practical alternatives for your own life, you’ll find like-minded partners ready to collaborate.
Empower the Next Generation:
Connect experienced practitioners directly with young innovators and students, passing on decades of wisdom while co-creating fresh solutions for tomorrow.
Volunteer
Artist
Singer / Musician / Band
For over 60 years, the Yusuf Meherally Centre has quietly championed a simple belief: real progress only happens when everyone’s rights and human dignity are upheld. Founded on principles of social justice, self-reliance, and environmental stewardship, our campus in Tara has served as a living laboratory for rural healthcare, education, organic farming, and village industries.
We know that India holds thousands of remarkable grassroots innovations, yet so many remain isolated. The Festival of Alternatives was born out of a gentle wish to bring these fragmented efforts together- to honor the wisdom of those who came before us while creating a welcoming space for the next generation to lead.
Honoring Dr. G.G. Parikh
A Century of Service and Solidarity
Honoring Dr. G.G. Parikh: A Century of Service and Solidarity
On October 2nd, 2025, on Gandhi Jayanti, our beloved Chairman, veteran Gandhian freedom fighter, and founder of the Yusuf Meherally Centre, Dr. G.G. Parikh (affectionately known as GG) passed away at the age of 101.
Imprisoned during the Quit India Movement and the Emergency, Dr. Parikh devoted his entire life to empowering rural communities, strengthening the labor movement, and teaching youth that social justice begins with local action.
Holding this festival on October 2nd- 4th is our way of celebrating his life and continuing his work. GG believed that true democracy is built when ordinary people, farmers, artisans, and youth come together to create their own solutions. This gathering is a tribute to his enduring belief that a compassionate, self-reliant India is always within our reach.
Explore 70+ workshops, panels, film screenings, and cultural performances spread across our green campus.
DAY 1 • FRI, OCT 2
- Mahatma Gandhi
Visitor Passes officially opening on 15th August 2026