The Beginning
AF Development Care (AFDC) was officially established as a consulting business partnership on November 19, 2019. Founded by a team of experts across international development, economics, data analysis, field research, and social development, AFDC set out to deliver impactful research and consultancy services.

Our Growth

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 shortly after its inception, AFDC made significant strides within its first seven months. Our groundbreaking research on informal labor garnered over 70 media features, highlighting our role in shaping development narratives. From collaborating with local stakeholders to forging global partnerships, AFDC has become a trusted advisor for policymakers seeking data-driven insights to connect with vulnerable populations.

Our Mission
AFDC continues to push boundaries, foster innovative ideas, and provide a platform for the next generation of development leaders. Supported by a network of intellectuals, policymakers, and civil society actors, we strive to deliver inclusive, non-partisan, and actionable research that shapes sustainable policies worldwide.

The Mandate
AFDC is committed to engaging diverse voices, challenging dominant narratives, and promoting equitable development. Through in-depth research and thought leadership, we aim to empower decision-makers across sectors and geographies, contributing to a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable world.

AFDC Project Research/Evaluation Findings Featured in Mainstream News

1. Declare at-home beedi rolling hazardous’: Study on TN, Karnataka workers
   The News Minute
2. Low wages, high health costs: Poor, marginalized women beedi rolling workers face acute exploitation Gaon Connection
3. Serious health hazards force women beedi workers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka to quit profession amid COVID-19 Firstpost
4. New study reveals the state of women beedi rollers in India Business Insider
5. How nearly 1 million women in India’s southern states stopped beedi rolling
   The Print
6. Skill development: Focus must be on those engaged in hazardous conditions like women beedi rollers Financial Express
7. TN beedi industry leaves women gasping for breath Times of India
8. Why Government Must Declare Home-based Beedi Rolling As Hazardous SheThePeople
9. Little relief for vulnerable Indian cigarette rollers Asia Times
10. Women continue to roll beedis despite low wages, health risks Village Square

1. Smokeless Tobacco Use in Work and Public Places Must Be Prohibited
   Business World
2. Making people quit tobacco faster in India Deccan Herald
3. Cigarette consumption highest in Karnataka; tobacco control measures ‘erratic’ in most states: AFDC Report Indian Express
4. Ground-level implementation of tobacco control measure lacking - AFDC ReportNew Indian Express
5. Tobacco consumption on the rise in rural women: AFDC Report Deccan Herald
6. Experts demand stronger enforcement of existing laws Gaon Connection

1. Tear that invisibility cloak: Millions of women house help work in Indian householdsThe Telegraph
2. Beedi workers: a tale of exploitation British Safety Council
3. Cigarette consumption highest in Karnataka; tobacco consumption rises among rural women: Report Asianet News