SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions), which means creation, was born in 1993, essentially to support the activities of the Honey Bee Network to recognize, respect and reward creativity at the grassroots. The objectives were: systematic documentation, dissemination of, and value addition in grassroots green innovations, providing them intellectual property rights protection and risk capital support besides helping in the in situ and ex situ conservation of local biodiversity and associated knowledge system. SRISTI is devoted to empowering the knowledge rich but economically poor people by adding value in their contemporary creativity as well as traditional knowledge. Linking formal and informal science was one of the major objectives. It has helped to establish GIAN, NIF, MVIF and AASTIIK in support of innovators and their innovations.
