A Legacy of Impact
Sehgal Foundation USA and S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) in India emerged from a shared vision of two individuals whose childhoods were marked by displacement due to significant historical events.
Suri Sehgal
Founder Of Sehgal Foundation
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Suri Sehgal was born in a part of India that became Pakistan during the Partition in 1947. His father, a businessman and community organizer, worked alongside Mahatma Gandhi for India's independence. Suri’s family fled as refugees when he was thirteen.
Edda Sehgal
Co-Founder Of Sehgal Foundation
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Edda Jeglinsky was only three years old when World War II ended, and her family fled their home in the Silesian lowlands (now Poland). Both families rebuilt their lives—Suri’s in Amritsar, India, and Edda’s in Göppingen, Germany.
A Life of Service and Science
Suri came to the U.S. in 1959 to study plant genetics at Harvard University, motivated by his experience of famine in India. It was during this time that he met Edda, an au pair learning English.
After earning his PhD, Suri took a role with Pioneer Seed Company in Des Moines, Iowa. He and Edda married, raised four children, and built a successful international career in hybrid seed development, working to provide affordable, high-quality seeds to poor farmers worldwide.
The Birth of a Vision
In 1998, after the lucrative sale of their seed companies, Suri and Edda made a pivotal decision: they would share their wealth with employees and dedicate the majority to giving back to India.
The Sehgal Foundation was incorporated with the purpose of promoting sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, environmental protection, and women’s literacy. However, they soon realized the need for more direct action and created S M Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) in India in 1999 to test and develop innovative rural development models.
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Addressing the Water Crisis
Early on, the team identified a critical issue in the villages where they worked: a lack of usable water. Water Management became a core focus, alongside Agriculture Development. Recognizing that lasting change would require village-level empowerment, they introduced the Local Participation and Sustainability Program, emphasizing rural governance.
Capacity-building of farmers for sustainable livelihoods
An equal emphasis is placed on the capacity-building of farmers, including women farmers, on improved agricultural practices and new technologies that increase crop yields, conserve water, and improve soil fertility. The SMSF team works with small-holder and marginal farmers in rain-fed and irrigated areas to facilitate adoption of advanced and sustainable agricultural practices that include soil health management, climate-smart interventions, crop production management, input-use efficiency, small farm mechanization, water-efficient irrigation techniques, horticultural development, livestock management, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture.
Empowering the Next Generation
SMSF's initiatives include digital literacy and life-skills training for girls and young women, along with vocational training for boys. In 2016, the Transform Lives: One School at a Time program was launched, combining elements of water management, agriculture, and governance to improve government schools in rural areas.
With support from corporate, government, and individual donors, SMSF has made groundbreaking progress in rural India, receiving local, national, and international recognition. As of 2024, with a quarter century of experience, SMSF continues expanding its programs across India, bringing lasting change to the most vulnerable communities.