The Gandhian philosophy of Sarvodaya - all rising, but the last person first - is the basis of GRAVIS' strategy and approach to the work. Accordingly, GRAVIS works for the collective rise of men, women, and children, regardless of economic situation, caste or religion. With the changes brought by modernity, this philosophy is becoming more pertinent as the incongruities of Indian society are getting exaggerated. Addressing the situation through the empowerment of rural communities, GRAVIS also adheres to another Gandhian notion, Gram Swarajya, or village self rule, when implementing its efforts. GRAVIS works towards the rehabilitation of the rural community, enabling village ownership and control over its environment, institutions, and relations. This organization operates under the belief that self-reliance is a necessity to survival, thus not merely aiding, but by engaging the rural populations in various development projects self reliance can be promoted.

Following are GRAVIS' main objectives:

• Recreation of village institutions that ensure adequate representation of all sections of the community, including women and the marginalized castes.

• Sustainable development of natural resources to increase productivity and income.

• Conservation and development of village commons.

• Improvement of the level of education in the community with particular emphasis on educating girls.

• Promotion of savings at individual, group, and community level to increase familiarity with the cash economy and to reduce dependency on outside capital.

• Incorporation of better health behaviors and associating it with overall development of the rural society.