Mumbai: The Yusuf Meherally Centre in Bandhanwadi, Panvel, will host the Festival of Alternatives 2026 from 2 to 4 October, bringing together more than 5,000 innovators, community leaders, social entrepreneurs, policymakers and youth from across India to advance sustainable and inclusive futures.
Organised on the first death anniversary of renowned freedom fighter Dr G.G. Parikh, the festival is inspired by Gandhian values and contemporary innovations, organisers said. It aims to showcase practical solutions to pressing global and regional challenges, including climate change, ecological degradation, unemployment, inequality and social fragmentation.
The event will serve as a platform for collaboration among sectors working on regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, circular economies and community healthcare.
A central feature of the event is the Future of Alternatives Expo, which will showcase sustainable products, grassroots innovations and ethical brands while providing vital market access for farmer producer organisations, handloom collectives and women-led enterprises.
In addition to the expo, attendees can participate in practical Innovation Labs and hands-on workshops covering renewable energy, waste management, natural building and cooperative business models. A series of panel discussions, titled ‘Dialogues for the Future’, will enable direct engagement with leading climate practitioners, academics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) leaders.
The festival will also celebrate cultural expression as a catalyst for social imagination, featuring documentary screenings, folk performances, poetry and public art installations. Dedicated youth programmes, including innovation challenges and mentorship initiatives, will further encourage young people to contribute actively to regenerative development.
“The festival is an invitation to reimagine development through the lens of people, communities and the planet,” the organisers stated.
The Yusuf Meherally Centre works in the fields of rural development and community empowerment. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas, Dr Parikh embraced the Mahatma’s philosophy throughout his life and established an organisation in Mumbai in 1946 to promote khadi, village industries and the cooperative movement.
He and his wife, Mangalaben Parikh, later established the Yusuf Meherally Centre at Tara village in Raigad district to empower tribal communities.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
