DIR-INDIA was founded by Mr. K.T. Srinivasan and Mr. P.E Haridasan in December 2004, with Dr. Frederick Shaw appointed as the CEO. The organization is currently headed by Dr. Asha Katoch, who has been an active part of the organization as project coordinator since the beginning but became CEO in November 2017.

DIR first started working in Janta Colony, Nayagaon, Punjab in January 2006. At this time the colony was a forest land that was forcefully occupied by migrants. A Sikh man, Gurbaksh Singh, was the leader of the residents here and gave us the opportunity to serve his community after he had lost faith in many organizations who had promised so much but never followed through.

 In January 2006, we started the survey of the Janta Colony by going door to door and adopted a population of approximately 10,000 people. Data collection was done under different men, women, and children living in this slum. Our main agenda was to decrease the infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate and ensure a 100 percent immunization rate in this community of 10,000 people.

We are still working in Janta Colony, as well as the neighbouring Safeda Colony, which now has a total population of 15,000 people. We are in the initial stages of starting a similar project in Dhanas Colony.