In Chhattisgarh’s tribal region, the village of Deurbael had long struggled with agricultural uncertainty.
Live-in-Labs® is a multidisciplinary experiential learning program that breaks classroom and lab barriers by applying learned theory in real-world settings. This credit-based academic program draws on principles of lean research for the development and deployment of sustainable solutions for current challenges faced by rural communities in India. By directly living in rural communities (labs) and co-designing sustainable solutions program participants gain first-hand knowledge along with the know-how of identifying and assessing community needs. Subsequently viable solutions are developed and implemented through various participatory methods.
Rural Residents
Villages
Field Hours
States + Union Territories
Grassroot Projects
Institutional Partners
With over 300 projects in 25 states across India, Live-in-Labs participants have touched the lives of approximately 1 million rural residents during the past several years. With participation from over 30 institutions around the world and nearly 50 departments, schools, and centers at Amrita, students and faculty have clocked in a monumental 400,000+ hours in the field working towards sustainable development in rural communities.
From Jammu and Leh in the North to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the South, to Rajasthan and Gujarat in the West to West Bengal and Sikkim in the East, the Live-in-Labs® program has implemented projects in various thematic areas.
Amrita Live-in-Labs® Wins ‘Innovation by Private University’ Award at 14th World Education Summit
The Amrita Live-in-Labs® program has won the “Innovation by Private University’ award…
August 12, 2019
Construction blocks from plastic waste: Team Amrita wins Swacch Technology Challenge
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has created an eco-friendly innovation that uses plastic waste…
May 20, 2022
The United Nations awarded Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham its second …
July 12, 2020
In the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham was ranked 37th globally, with Top 25 global positions across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the heart of this achievement is the Live-in-Labs® program, which transforms classroom learning into measurable societal impact by embedding students and researchers within rural communities across India.
Unlike conventional field visits, Live-in-Labs® enables students, faculty, researchers, and international partners to co-create solutions with communities, ensuring that research translates into tangible improvements in people’s lives. This experiential model demonstrates how universities can integrate education, research, innovation, outreach, and community engagement, the very dimensions evaluated by the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings.
Live-in-Labs® has directly contributed to Amrita’s performance across multiple Sustainable Development Goals by integrating research, education, innovation, and community partnerships.
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Sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurship, skill development, financial inclusion
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Community healthcare, digital health, nutrition, maternal and child health, telemedicine
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Experiential learning, service-learning curriculum, community education, capacity building
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Women’s empowerment, self-help groups, leadership development, livelihood initiatives
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Water security, water quality monitoring, sanitation systems, watershed management
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Rural renewable energy, clean cooking, energy-efficient technologies, solar solutions
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Frugal innovation, rural technologies, resilient infrastructure, digital innovation
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Climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, landslide early warning systems, ecosystem restoration
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Collaborations with governments, communities, NGOs, industries, and international universities
THE Sustainability Impact Ratings recognize universities that demonstrate measurable contributions to society through research, teaching, operations, and outreach. Live-in-Labs® exemplifies this philosophy by enabling students to identify real-world challenges, co-design solutions with communities, and create lasting impact through interdisciplinary research and implementation.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has a major role to play in transforming our society into a knowledge society through its unique value-added education system
What makes Amrita students special? Western science leads to knowledge. Eastern sceince leads to understanding. Amrita has both Western and Eastern traditions in education.
