Synopsis Institutions in rural areas particularly people's institutions have a vital role to play in promoting sustainable development, for instance SHG as a strategy has emerged for empowerment of women and poverty alleviation. SHG is considered as a catalyst to achieve the objective of rural transformation and to precipitate community action and participation in rural development programmes. NGOs are emerging as the most powerful and vibrant change agents at the grassroots. They create awareness, educate, motivate, mobilize, organize women's organizations in rural areas. Furthermore the imperatives of globalization and concomitant structural adjustment necessitate formulation of such networking strategies of various institutions in rural areas as would not only to counter the negative effects emerging from such phenomena but also to help to build a sustainable society. The present book crystallizes the critical issues and challenges that confront development institutions in rural areas with focus on SHGs, NGOs, PRIs and Banks and evolve a strategy for convergence of local institutions in the context.