Rashmi Bharti has been working with issues related to rural development for the past 15 years. Avani the voluntary organisation she co-founded works with the creation of livelihood opportunities through appropriate technology, traditional craft and farm-based activities. Avani has worked with local capacity building for management of all these enterprises. In the past ten years of their work they have set up, among others, a community managed rural solar electrification program; rural electronic and mechanical workshop that manufactures solar water heaters as well as solar driers; a profitable business with handmade, high quality textiles in wool and silk dyed with natural dyes; cultivation of wild silks like eri and muga; collection and cultivation of natural dyes.