PSI/India began operations in 1988. Currently, it has programs in HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, malaria and child survival across 22 states and union territories throughout the country. These interventions include extensive work on behavior change communication campaigns and social marketing of products and services to promote healthy behavior. PSI has demonstrated capacity to implement evidence-based communication on health issues through several large-scale projects. Communication campaigns are designed based on barriers identified and are culturally sensitive. They span a range of media ranging from mass media to mid-media and interpersonal communication, which use a wide range of formats and innovative activities.

Donors

Major donors have included Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Aids Control Programme (NACO), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, David and Lucille Packard Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, UNICEF, British Department for International Development (DFID); Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Entwicklungsbank (the German development bank); State Innovations in Family Planning Services Agency; and U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) 

Partners

PSI works closely with the central Indian government, particularly NACO and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. At state and district level, PSI/India works with Commissioners for Health and the State AIDS Control Societies. Community-based organizations and other NGOs are important partners in deepening the reach of social marketing interventions and linkages to key services for those affected by HIV/AIDS. In its rural programs for promotion of birth spacing and good maternal/child health practices, PSI forms partnerships with Panchayat Raj Institutions, with local medical providers and with retailers who carry and promote PSI products.

PSI/India is currently implementing the Avahan program, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to promote safer sexual practices in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. PSI also makes condoms accessible along national highways. The core of PSI’s contribution to this program is its intensive communication, franchising and distribution activities in 100 locations where HIV prevalence and risk behavior is known to be highest. PSI activities have reached over 7.6 million clients of sex workers in these areas. Monitoring and evaluation measures the effectiveness of the project in bringing about consistent condom use.

Under USAID's Project Connect, PSI leads a consortium of partners in implementing an HIV/AIDS Workplace Intervention Program, mobilizing the private sector to support HIV/AIDS related interventions, and establishing prevention of parent to child transmission centres through public private partnerships and advocacy with insurance and pharmaceutical sector to serve people living with AIDS. PSI is also implementing an HIV prevention program among the coal mining community, called COILA (Collieries Outreach Intervention for Limiting HIV/AIDS), in partnership with Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society. The project envisages research among the targeted population in the coal mining districts of Jharkhand to enable the launch of effective interventions with support from partners.

Mumbai HIV/AIDS Targeted Intervention: PSI/India's HIV/AIDS prevention activities target the high-risk behavior groups of sex workers, their clients and long-haul truck drivers. The Mumbai project works intensively with 6,000 sex workers in “red-light” areas of Mumbai, 600,000 men who are at-risk and 2,500 drug users. The project includes interpersonal and mid-media communication; condom social marketing; voluntary counseling and testing centers; Drop-in Centers and a helpline. Sanghamitra, a CBO of sex workers, and Sangini, its microfinance unit, are operational. PSI/Mumbai’s Saadhan Helpline provides counseling and information services to the general population.

Family Planning: PSI/India promotes birth spacing by creating informed demand and providing a reliable supply of quality, affordable contraceptive products like condoms, oral contraceptive pills, intra-uterine devices, emergency contraceptives and injectable contraceptives in 17 states. Masti condoms and Pearl oral contraceptive pills are made available in over 68,000 towns and villages. Under National Rural Health Mission, the Government of the state of Rajasthan has set up Urban RCH Centres to provide quality RCH and basic health services. PSI manages one such centre, providing maternal and child health services, antenatal and post natal care, immunization and treatment of childhood illnesses. PSI uses mass media, wall art, folk shows, video shows and interactive games to promote its family planning messaging. Women also hold group meetings in 3,268 villages in rural Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh with funding from the KfW. With the financial support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, PSI/India's mobile street theatre teams and video vans have reached over 4,000 villages in Jharkhand with key birth spacing messages.

Maternal Health: PSI markets several nutritional products designed to safeguard the health of women. These include Vitalet PREG, a supplement to prevent anemia among pregnant and lactating women, Vitalet, multivitamins with iron to prevent deficiency of micronutrients in women, and the uterotonic drug Misoprostol for preventing post-partum hemorrhage. Sure Start program in Uttar Pradesh supports the Indian government’s commitment to improving maternal and newborn health. The project aims to increase action that improves maternal and newborn health and to enhance capabilities for sustained improvement in maternal and newborn care and health status. PSI has recently launched a major five-year reproductive health initiative in 11 states. This initiative aims to prevent post-partum hemorrhage using Misoprostol and expand family planning choice through Intra Uterine Device (IUDs) and contraceptive implant service delivery. The project will build capacity of private and public health care providers for quality service delivery supported by high quality products. The program will also do category promotion for underutilized products and create demand for the services of trained, qualified health service providers.

Safe Water: Diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of early childhood mortality in India, where many families lack access to clean drinking water. PSI is working to lower the incidence of diarrheal diseases and related child mortality in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal and Orissa. PSI/India's brand of water disinfectant, Safewat, is sold in a 100-ml plastic bottle, sufficient to create 1000 liters of safe drinking water.

Child Nutrition: PSI markets several products like Neotrol, an Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) and zinc tablets designed to safeguard the health of children. A pilot program to reduce morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal disease among children under five years is being implemented in Rajasthan state. It promotes increased use of ORS, zinc tablets and continued feeding practices to address dehydration and diarrheal episodes. This is done through an intensive communication strategy and by providing access to the products throughout the entire project area.