STEM [Centre For Symbiosis of Technology, Environment & Management] is an inter-disciplinary professional research group with over two decades’ standing in Development Research, Consultancy & Training. It was established by a fraternity of respected development consultants, as a not-for-profit organization, on September 1, 1987, at Bangalore. STEM is registered as a society under the Karnataka Societies’ Registration Act, 1960.

From the humble beginnings in the late ‘80s, STEM has today grown into a professional research group to be reckoned with. Over the past 20 years, it has undertaken over 200 Research & Consultancy assignments in a wide range of development sectors, in various locations spread over as many as 18 states. In executing these assignments, STEM has adopted a symbiotic approach involving extensive in-depth field surveys, GIS applications, state-of-the-art analytical processes, participatory management techniques, and so on. STEM has also organized a large number of project-linked and independent Executive & Participatory Development Programmes. The research, consultancy & capacity-building assignments undertaken by STEM have gone a long way in complementing the governmental initiatives, policies & programmes for national development.

STEM has built up a large clientele, including, ministries, departments & agencies at the Central, State & Local levels, UN agencies, multi-lateral & bilateral financing institutions, and international NGOs.

More than a third of the assignments undertaken by STEM have had direct or indirect relevance to infrastructure planning, development & management , involving

MINDS faculty & students are also, from time to time, called upon to participate, in various capacities, in the Research & Consultancy assignments undertaken by STEM. It is this extensive sectoral exposure that mainly constitutes the intellectual assets of MINDS. For further information on STEM, visit www.stemgroup.org