The Akanksha Foundation

Name

The Akanksha Foundation

Legal name

The Akanksha Foundation

Website

https://akanksha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)

Keywords

• K-12 education services
• Public-private partnership
• Holistic education programs
• Socio-emotional learning
• Non-profit education

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Cost-Sharing (PPP Model): Unique cost-sharing partnership with Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Nagpur Municipal Corporation wherein the government reimburses 50% of per pupil cost. Government provides school infrastructure, water, electricity, mid-day meals and student kit essentials while Akanksha runs end-to-end operations.
2. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals supporting education of underserved children. Suggested donation amounts include ₹15,000, ₹8,000, ₹2,000, and ₹1,000 with options for one-time or monthly recurring donations. All donations are eligible for tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.
3. Art Products Sales: Art for Akanksha generates revenue through sale of products featuring student artwork including Card Boxes, Tote Bags, Flasks, Bag Tags, and Runners. INR 77 lakh in sales recorded in AY 2023-24. 35,493 people accessed/purchased/received Akanksha Art products in AY 2023-24.
4. Corporate CSR Donations: Funding from corporations including Bajaj Finserv, Thermax Foundation, Mphasis, EXL Services, Deepak Foundation, Godrej, HDFC, HSBC, MEIL, Nykaa, Planetcast, UBS, GE Foundation, and others through CSR initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Akanksha Foundation operates 27 English-medium schools in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with municipal governments in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur, providing holistic education that combines academic excellence with socio-emotional learning, 21st-century skills, values, and parent partnerships. The organization also runs the Alumni Support and Engagement (ASE) Program, Project Setu for public school strengthening, Art For Akanksha (AFA) visual arts education, and Project RISE for high-potential student enrichment, serving 14,600 students through 760+ educators.

Product overview

The Akanksha Foundation operates a multi-program education ecosystem comprising The School Project (27 PPP-model schools), Alumni Support and Engagement Program (ASE), Project Setu (government school strengthening), and Art For Akanksha (AFA) arts education. The organization also runs Project RISE as a specialized enrichment component for high-potential students. All programs are supported by technology partnerships for devices and educational software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Art for Akanksha (AFA): A comprehensive art education program that provides powerful art education for children within as well as beyond the Akanksha network. The program includes a design studio where alumni and designers sort, scan, and catalog student artwork and adapt designs into various products.
• Project RISE
• Project Setu

Products and services

• The School Project Akanksha's flagship program operating 27 English-medium schools across Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur in a PPP model. Provides holistic education combining academic excellence with socio-emotional learning, 21st-century skills, values, and parent partnerships. Targets children from low-income communities seeking high-quality K-10 education.
• Alumni Support and Engagement (ASE) Program Comprehensive support program beginning in Grade 8, providing career guidance, academic and financial support, university exploration, mentorship, leadership camps, and vocational training to help alumni lead empowered lives. Targets former Akanksha students pursuing higher education or early careers.
• Project Setu School transformation initiative partnering with government bodies in Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC) and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to strengthen public school systems based on Akanksha's best practices across 242 schools. Targets government school systems seeking to improve learning outcomes.
• Art For Akanksha (AFA) Visual arts education program integrated into Akanksha schools from KG to Grade 10, providing art curriculum, teacher training, and a Design Studio that transforms student artwork into products for sale. Reaches 3,500+ children through public and private school partnerships.
• Project RISE Flagship enrichment initiative nurturing students with exceptional academic potential from under-resourced communities, offering 5-8 extra hours of high-quality, rigorous instruction and mentorship from experts beyond regular school hours. Targets high-potential Akanksha students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% of Akanksha students graduate with better performance than state average
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ApplecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Partnership since 2015 with 8 Akanksha schools equipped with Apple TVs and iPads. Students use apps like Explain Basics and iMovies for project creation. Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Sitaram Mill Compound school in Mumbai to observe technology integration.
• Navi Mumbai Municipal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnique cost-sharing PPP partnership wherein the government reimburses 50% of per pupil cost. Government provides school infrastructure, water, electricity, mid-day meals and student kit essentials while Akanksha runs end-to-end operations including recruitment and curriculum development.
• Nagpur Municipal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnique cost-sharing PPP partnership wherein the government reimburses 50% of per pupil cost. Government provides school infrastructure while Akanksha operates 7 schools reaching 1,800+ students with 150+ staff.
• Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership through Project Setu strengthening 105 PCMC schools. Holistic learning has fueled 5% student enrollment growth. 22 art teachers bring lessons to 45 schools reaching 25,000 children through Art for Akanksha.
• Pune Municipal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing infrastructure while Akanksha operates 10 schools in Pune area including K.C. Thackeray Vidya Niketan and Pujya Kasturba Gandhi English Medium School.
• Peepul Foundation (Delhi)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Art for Akanksha program reaching children beyond the Akanksha network through art education curriculum.
• iTeach Schools (Mumbai & Pune)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Art for Akanksha program providing art education to children in Mumbai and Pune schools.
• Emory University / Dalai Lama TrustcoreTechnology or IntegrationSEE (Socio-Emotional and Ethical) Learning framework developed by Emory University in partnership with the Dalai Lama Trust. All 27 Akanksha schools implement SEE learning practices as part of daily timetable.
• Shaheen Mistri / Teach for IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShaheen Mistri is Founder of Akanksha and currently CEO of Teach for India, maintaining close ties between the organizations.
• Global Mentorship InitiativesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner24 alumni completed 1-to-1 mentorship programs for job training in collaboration with Global Mentorship Initiative.
• Aspen LeadershipsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for leadership camps and skill development for Akanksha alumni.
• Azim Premji UniversitysupportingOthers15 alumni secured admissions in leading universities including KREA, Ashoka, FLAME and Azim Premji for graduate programs starting AY 2024-25. Alumni have gained admission to prestigious universities.
• Shekhar Singh (Municipal Commissioner, PCMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal Commissioner who acknowledged Akanksha's phenomenal work leading PCMC to broaden partnership beyond initial 5 schools.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest non-profits, focused on improving quality of education for underprivileged children through programs like Pratham ASER and direct school interventions. Most directly comparable Indian non-profit in scale and education mission.
• Kaivalya Education Foundation: Founded by Akanksha board member Aditya Natraj, Kaivalya works to transform India's K-12 public education system through leadership and innovation. Same leadership ecosystem and public-school transformation thesis as Akanksha.
• iTeach Schools: iTeach Schools runs English-medium schools for underprivileged children in Mumbai and Pune. Directly comparable as a K-12 non-profit network serving low-income communities in the same geographies as Akanksha, and is an Art for Akanksha partner.
• Bharti Foundation: Runs Satya Bharti Schools and other programs for underprivileged children across rural India. Comparable as a large K-12 education non-profit serving underserved populations with corporate-backed funding.
• Teach For India: Founded by Shaheen Mistri (Akanksha's founder), Teach For India is a non-profit tackling educational inequity across India through teacher fellowships. Shares Akanksha's mission of education for underserved children and overlaps in leadership and ecosystem partnerships.
• Akshara Foundation: Bengaluru-based non-profit focused on quality education for underprivileged children through government school partnerships and direct programs. Comparable K-12 education non-profit with similar mission and direct-school-operation model.
• American India Foundation (AIF): Large US-India non-profit running education access programs including Digital Equalizer and other K-12 initiatives. Comparable as a major education non-profit in India serving underserved populations with multi-program approach.
• Mantra4Change: Non-profit focused on transforming government school systems through collaborations with state governments in Karnataka and other states. Closely comparable to Akanksha's Project Setu 'strengthening government schools' approach.
• Peepul Foundation: Peepul Foundation is a non-profit education organization partnering with government schools to improve learning outcomes across India. Aktively listed as an Art for Akanksha partner school and operates in the same underserved K-12 segment.

Broad incumbents

• Central Square Foundation: Philanthropic foundation working to catalyze transformations in K-12 education across India through research, advocacy, and funding. Broader scope than Akanksha but operates in the same underserved K-12 segment with substantially larger funding base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akanksha_india
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theakankshafoundation6454?si=OU7En5iCu66_Jh8X
• Facebookfacebook.com/the.akanksha.foundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-akanksha-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/theakankshafoundation?igsh=d2I1ZzEyYWN6YW9j

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Akanksha Foundation