The/Nudge Foundation

What The/Nudge Foundation does

The/Nudge Foundation, operating publicly as The/Nudge Institute, is an action institute founded in 2015 in Bengaluru with a mission to build a poverty-free India through partnerships with governments, markets, and civil society. Its core operating model rests on the evidence-based Graduation Approach, deploying productive asset transfers, temporary cash grants (Consumption Support Grants), technical training, savings access, and behavioral change communication to lift ultra-poor households — particularly Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and Dalit communities — out of extreme poverty. Core programs include the Economic Inclusion Program (EIP), the Asha Kiran rural women's livelihood program in Uttar Pradesh (backyard poultry and goatery with UPSRLM), the InSight vision-correction initiative, the 18-month Indian Administrative Fellowship placing senior private-sector professionals inside government departments, an Incubator/Accelerator for social entrepreneurs, The/Nudge Prize grand challenges, and the annual charcha convening forum.

The technology stack blends field delivery with digital platforms: the Sarathi mobile app for EIP, Digital Naukri Challenge for online work opportunities, and a growing AI layer including GraminAI (Jharkhand's first AI Support Cell inside the Rural Development Department), an e-Pension Calculation Engine, an AI Policy Bot for industrial policy queries, and Digital Public Infrastructure integrations on India's open-source Digit and Sunbird stacks. The Ethical Evaluation Framework for Digital Health was co-developed with IIIT Bangalore. Revenue mechanics are non-profit: philanthropic grants (Omidyar Network India, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), government MoU-based co-implementation funding, corporate CSR partnerships (Mphasis F1 Foundation, DCM Shriram, Ashirvad Pipes), and grand challenge prize pools (Rs 6.5 crore Digital Naukri, Rs 2.6 crore AgWater). No fees are charged to beneficiaries; the Indian Administrative Fellowship pays a Rs 1.25 lakh monthly honorarium. The organization reports 15M+ people impacted, 100K+ households served, 22K+ youth skilled, and 100+ nonprofits incubated since inception, supported by a 400+ person team called Nudgesters operating from Bengaluru and a US presence in Irving, Texas.

Name

The/Nudge Foundation

Legal name

The Nudge Foundation

Website

https://thenudge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The/Nudge Foundation is a Bengaluru-based non-profit action institute using the Graduation Approach, government partnerships, and social entrepreneurship programs to lift ultra-poor Indian households out of extreme poverty, reaching 15M+ people across multiple states since 2015.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL), Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAH)

Keywords

• Poverty alleviation programs
• Livelihood development services
• Economic inclusion initiatives
• Social entrepreneurship incubation
• Rural livelihood programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bengaluru

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants: Primary funding from philanthropic organizations including Omidyar Network India ($2 million grant in 2021), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other donors. Grants support program implementation, operations, and expansion of livelihood initiatives.
2. Government Partnerships: Partnerships with state governments (Jharkhand, Karnataka, Punjab, UP) and central ministries for program co-implementation. Government partners provide funding support for Economic Inclusion Program, Indian Administrative Fellowship, and other initiatives through MoUs.
3. Consumption Support Grant (CSG): Cash assistance provided to program participants (ultra-poor households) during early stages of livelihood program until they can generate income. Facilitated through village organizations with donor funding.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The/Nudge Foundation is a non-profit action institute that runs a portfolio of interconnected livelihood programs targeting ultra-poor households, rural women, and social entrepreneurs in India. Its core offerings include the Economic Inclusion Program (graduation approach), Asha Kiran (rural women's poultry/goatery livelihoods), InSight (vision correction for presbyopia), the Indian Administrative Fellowship (placing private-sector professionals in government), an Incubator and Accelerator for social enterprises, The/Nudge Prize grand challenges, and the annual charcha convening forum. Programs are delivered via partnerships with state and central governments and through proprietary digital platforms including GraminAI, e-Pension Engine, and the Sarathi mobile app.

Product overview

The/Nudge Institute is an action institute working towards a poverty-free India through partnering with governments, markets, and civil society. The organization operates as a platform-plus-programs model with its core Livelihoods Ecosystem comprising multiple interconnected initiatives: the Economic Inclusion Program (EIP) using the Graduation Approach to lift the most excluded households out of poverty; Asha Kiran and InSight as targeted livelihood and healthcare programs; Indian Administrative Fellowship (IAF) as a talent-fellowship bridge between private sector and government; The/Nudge Prize with its Incubator and Accelerator for social entrepreneurship; Forum (charcha) as a convening platform; and the*spark co-working facility. Additionally, the Digital Naukri Challenge drives innovation in digital livelihoods through grand challenge competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Economic Inclusion Program (EIP) A multi-faceted economic inclusion program using the graduation approach to help the most excluded households (PVTGs and Dalit communities meeting 3+ SECC 2011 deprivation criteria) build resilient livelihoods through productive asset transfer, cash support, technical training, savings account access, and behavioral change communication. Reached 100K+ households across multiple Indian states.
• Asha Kiran A livelihood program working with the Uttar Pradesh government (UPSRLM) to enable sustainable livelihoods for rural women in agricultural communities through backyard poultry and goatery as supplementary income sources. Targets women tied to unpredictable wage labor with limited income diversification, addressing financial vulnerability during male migration.
• InSight A vision care initiative addressing presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) through a three-pronged strategy: government support, scalable distribution models, and catalytic philanthropy. Provides reading glasses distribution in India, demonstrating 20% income boost and 34% productivity gain for users.
• Indian Administrative Fellowship (IAF) An 18-month impact fellowship connecting senior private-sector professionals (15+ years experience) with government officials to drive technological innovation in public systems. Fellows receive Rs 1.25 lakhs monthly honorarium and are placed in government departments across Karnataka, Jharkhand, Punjab, and MoSJE cohorts. Mobilised Rs 920 Cr+ through public-private partnerships, impacting 20 Lac+ citizens.
• The/Nudge Incubator A program supporting early-stage social entrepreneurs through mentorship, resources, and funding to build scalable social enterprises in areas like agriculture, livelihoods, health, and climate. Accepts applications through the website.
• The/Nudge Accelerator A program supporting growth-stage social enterprises to scale their impact through advanced mentorship and strategic support, building on the Incubator cohort pathway.
• The/Nudge Prize A grand challenge platform that drives innovative solutions to India's social problems through incentive-driven competitions with prize purses (e.g., Rs 2.6 crore for DCM AgWater Utilisation Challenge, Rs 6.5 crore for Digital Naukri Challenge).
• Digital Naukri Challenge A Rs 6.5 crore grand challenge in partnership with Mphasis F1 Foundation to enable 1 million digital work opportunities for India's homemakers by 2030 through a dedicated challenge website.
• Forum (charcha) The flagship convening platform of the livelihoods ecosystem that brings together doers, funders, and enablers to facilitate dialogues for transformative change. India's largest livelihoods summit with multiple editions (charcha 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) connecting funders, implementers, and government stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15+ million people impacted since inception in 2015
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VisionSpringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisionSpring advisor Jordan Kassalow provides expertise for InSight program addressing uncorrected presbyopia through reading glasses distribution in India.
• EssilorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEx Chief Mission Officer Jayanth Bhuvaraghan serves as advisor for InSight program, bringing expertise in vision correction and eyeglass distribution.
• KPMGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with KPMG Global COO of ESG Advisory (Impact) Devang Bhandari to scale evidence-based graduation approach models to enable 23 million households to come out of extreme exclusion in India.
• Government of India - Central MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with central ministries and state governments on Economic Inclusion Program and InSight program for marginalized communities through graduation approach.
• Government of Jharkhand - JSLPScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) for Economic Inclusion Program implementation. COO Shri Bishnu C. Parida endorsed the partnership for overall development of most excluded in rural Jharkhand.
• Government of KarnatakacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Indian Administrative Fellowship with Karnataka government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah endorsed the IAF program as a front-runner in fostering public-private collaborations.
• NITI AayogcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development bootcamps for IAF Fellows organized in partnership with NITI Aayog, India's premier policy think tank.
• UPSRLM (Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Asha Kiran program working with rural women in Uttar Pradesh for backyard poultry and goatery sustainable livelihoods.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BRAC: Global pioneer of the Graduation Approach that The/Nudge explicitly adapted; operates the largest NGO in the world targeting ultra-poor households through similar asset-transfer-plus-training methodology. Most direct functional peer for EIP program design and impact measurement.
• GiveDirectly: Cash-transfer-focused poverty alleviation nonprofit operating across Africa and parts of Asia. Competes for the same donor dollars targeting ultra-poor households and uses rigorous RCT evidence; overlaps with The/Nudge's Consumption Support Grant stream and graduation methodology.
• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs focused on education and livelihoods for underprivileged youth. Operates skill-development and economic inclusion programs overlapping with The/Nudge's youth skilling (22K+ youth) and EIP initiatives.
• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): Indian organization supporting rural women's economic empowerment through cooperatives, livelihoods, and financial inclusion. Direct comparable for The/Nudge's Asha Kiran program (rural women in agricultural communities) and Economic Inclusion Program.
• Trickle Up: Nonprofit implementing the Graduation Approach for extreme poverty globally, originally co-developed the methodology alongside BRAC. Direct functional peer in graduation methodology and ultra-poor targeting.
• Barefoot College: India-based nonprofit providing rural livelihood training (especially solar electrification and skills) to women from marginalized communities. Comparable target beneficiary profile and skill-development approach to The/Nudge's youth skilling programs.
• Bandhan Konnagar: CSR arm of Bandhan Group running livelihood, health, and education programs for ultra-poor communities across India, particularly in West Bengal and Eastern India. Comparable in scale, target demographic, and grant-funded livelihood programs.
• Gray Matters Capital: Impact-focused investor and grantmaker targeting women, girls, and underserved communities through India-focused programs. Overlaps with The/Nudge's social entrepreneurship incubator model and women's economic empowerment focus.

Broad incumbents

• Piramal Foundation: Indian philanthropic foundation of the Piramal Group running large-scale development programs across health, education, livelihoods, and governance. Overlaps with The/Nudge across multiple program verticals but at broader scale with corporate-foundation funding model.

Others

• Omidyar Network India: Existing funder (provided $2M grant in 2021) and impact investor across India's social sector. As a donor they shape the funding ecosystem The/Nudge operates in; included as an ecosystem peer given the deep capital relationship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thenudge_in
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCExThH3f8MpHyr8GvKo3HSw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-nudge-foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/thenudgefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The/Nudge Foundation