What Azim Premji Foundation does

Azim Premji Foundation is an Indian not-for-profit philanthropic organisation founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bangalore, operating across three mandated pillars — Education, Health, and Livelihoods — with an endowment of approximately INR 2,40,000 crore (~USD 29 billion as of January 2023) sourced principally from the Wipro stake of founder Azim Premji. It is structured into three operating arms: Field Institutes that work directly in 59 districts across 6 states, a Grants programme that supports more than 1,150 NPO partners (targeting 1,600+ by 2025-26), and Azim Premji University, which runs higher education campuses in Bengaluru (since 2010) and Bhopal (since 2023) with an upcoming Ranchi campus; the Foundation also runs 11 Azim Premji Schools across 5 states.

Programmatically, the Foundation funds and operates schools, district-level education initiatives, a Health Worker platform, scholarships for girl students, and a new 1,000-bed charitable hospital in Bengaluru built with an INR 4,000 crore investment. Recent partnerships include a medical college and hospital collaboration with CMC Vellore (announced October 2024) and a state-government partnership with Karnataka for the mid-day meal programme reaching 55 lakh students. Technology assets mentioned include a Learning and IT platform and a Learning Resource App serving schools and educators across its geography.

The business model is purely philanthropic: the Foundation does not sell products or services, and its operations are funded by endowment drawdowns and grant flows; it functions as a grant-maker, direct operator of educational and (newly) healthcare institutions, and capacity-builder for the Indian social sector, with governance led by a board chaired by Azim Premji and day-to-day leadership under CEO Anurag Behar. Pricing, revenue mechanics, and customer segments are not applicable in a conventional commercial sense — the Foundation's "customers" are programme beneficiaries (students, rural communities, partner NPOs) and institutional counterparts (state governments, partner hospitals).

Name

Azim Premji Foundation

Legal name

Azim Premji Foundation

Website

https://azimpremjifoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

India's largest philanthropic foundation, operating across Education, Health, and Livelihoods in 59 districts through field institutes, grants to 1,150+ NPOs, Azim Premji University, and 11 schools, with a USD 29B endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Endowment: The Foundation operates as a not-for-profit funded by Azim Premji's philanthropic endowment valued at approximately INR 2,40,000 crore (USD 29 billion) as of January 2023. The Foundation does not generate revenue but distributes grants and operates programs for social development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Azim Premji Foundation is an India-based not-for-profit philanthropic organization that runs on-the-ground programs in education, health, and livelihoods through its Field Institutes, while also operating K-12 schools, a university, and a multi-year grants program for civil society organisations. Its programs are delivered free of cost to beneficiaries across 59 districts in 6 Indian states, and it is funded by founder Azim Premji's philanthropic endowment.

Product overview

Azim Premji Foundation operates as a not-for-profit organization with a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on education, health, and livelihoods across India. The organization's offerings include: Field Institutes conducting on-the-ground work across 59 districts in 6 states; Azim Premji Schools (11 schools across 5 states providing K-12 education); Azim Premji University with campuses in Bengaluru and Bhopal offering degrees in education, development, and public health; a Grants Program supporting over 1,150 not-for-profit organizations; The Health Worker platform publishing frontline health stories; Azim Premji Scholarship supporting girl students; Library resources and publications including handbooks, magazines, and translated materials; Research Reports on development and policy topics; and Art and Culture initiatives through storytelling. This is a not-for-profit foundation, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Azim Premji University: Higher education institution with campuses in Bengaluru and Bhopal, offering programmes to build capacity for the social sector including Master's in Education, Master's in Early Childhood Care and Education, and various diplomas.
• Azim Premji Schools
• Azim Premji Scholarship
• The Health Worker
• Azim Premji Health Equity Fellowships

Products and services

• Field Institutes On-the-ground programmatic work in education, health, and livelihoods across 59 districts in 6 Indian states, providing field-level implementation and support.
• Azim Premji Schools Schools run by the foundation providing quality K-12 education rooted in constitutional values, located across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand.
• Azim Premji University University with campuses in Bengaluru and Bhopal offering Master's programs in Education and Early Childhood Care, diplomas in Inclusive Education, and Bachelor's degrees for social sector professionals.
• Grants Program Multi-year financial grants supporting not-for-profits and civil society organizations working across areas including gender justice, constitutional values, disability, and governance.
• Azim Premji Scholarship Scholarship program supporting girl students from government schools in pursuing college education, with annual amounts of ₹30,000–36,000.
• Library Resources Repositories of learning and reference materials, research papers, school textbooks, teaching learning materials, and audio-visual resources across university campuses, district institutes, and teacher learning centres.
• Publications Magazines for school education including At Right Angles, Learning Curve, and i wonder..., plus handbooks for teaching literacy and numeracy competencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,300+ students graduated from Azim Premji University
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Goa Institute of ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Collaborative research study led by Prof. Muddasir Ahmad Akhoon in partnership with Azim Premji University and IIM Ahmedabad. Developed satellite-based framework to evaluate government agricultural policies, focusing on Telangana's Rythu Bandhu scheme.
• IIM AhmedabadminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Research collaboration with Goa Institute of Management and Azim Premji University on satellite-based evaluation of welfare schemes.
• Karnataka Government (Scholarships)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Scholarship programme with Azim Premji Foundation offering ₹30,000–36,000 annually to girl students from government schools. ₹2,000 crore earmarked for the initiative.
• Karnataka Government (Budget 2026-27)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2026Karnataka budget 2026-27 announced increased collaboration with Azim Premji Foundation including continued scholarships, nutrition and healthcare initiatives, mid-day meal programme support, and construction of 1,000-bed charitable hospital.
• Karnataka Medical Education DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2026MoU signed to establish a 1,000-bed charitable hospital dedicated to multi-organ transplantation in south Bengaluru. State government leased 10 acres of land for 99 years at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases campus. Azim Premji Foundation investing over ₹4,000 crore to make organ transplants affordable.
• Karnataka Government (Healthcare)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership to construct a 1,000-bed charitable transplant hospital with an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore and annual operational funding of Rs 350 crore. Beds to be offered free of cost or at government hospital rates, empanelled under Ayushman Bharat – Arogya Karnataka.
• Christian Medical College VellorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partnership to set up a new medical college and teaching hospital on CMC's Chittoor campus to offer value-based healthcare and medical education primarily for the disadvantaged.
• Government of KarnatakacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2024MoU signed on 20 July 2024 to support nutritional enrichment of the mid-day meal programme in government and government-aided schools for three years, covering 55 lakh students. The Karnataka 2026-27 budget includes continued funding for mid-day meals (₹1,500 crore) and scholarship programs in partnership with the Foundation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AzimPremjiUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/azimpremjifoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/azim-premji-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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