Social Action for Rural and Tribal Inhabitants of India (SARTHI) was established in August 1980 as a branch of the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC), Tilonia, Rajasthan. SARTHI was later registered as an independent organization in July 1985. it was formally registered under the Gujarat Societies Act 1860 and the Bombay Public Charitable Trust Act 1950.

SARTHI is a grassroots NGO with 44 years of experience in rural development. It has developed strong rapport and a good reputation with the tribal communities it has worked with in the tri-junction area of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. The Bheel Adivasi, a tribal community in these regions, are generally poor and marginalized, having been neglected, made vulnerable, and exploited by society for many years. The status and experiences of women are particularly dire, as they are often completely suppressed in a male-dominated society. Recognizing these issues, SARTHI developed an approach focused on providing needs-based services in Health, Natural Resource Management (NRM), Education and Women's Empowerment.