Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation

What Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation does

Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) is an Indian charitable trust established in 2006 by Yohei Sasakawa — WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination and Chairman of The Nippon Foundation — headquartered in New Delhi with a regional office in Jamshedpur. The organization works to restore dignity and economic independence for leprosy-affected individuals and their families across 21+ Indian states and 278+ leprosy colonies, having reached 7,000+ beneficiaries through 356 projects. Its delivery model is community-led and field-anchored rather than technology-driven; S-ILF operates primarily through human capital, zonal program coordinators, and partnerships with the Association of People Affected by Leprosy (APAL).

S-ILF runs five programmatic pillars: Livelihood (micro-enterprise support, seed capital, financial literacy), Education & Skills Training (His Holiness Dalai Lama-Sasakawa Scholarship covering secondary and higher education across nine states, the S-ILF Nursing Scholarship, vocational training in trades like tailoring, IT, and automobile repair), Communication & Advocacy (youth festivals, campus programs, corporate sensitization), Humanitarian Aid (ration kits, WASH infrastructure, MCR footwear, ulcer care kits, tele-OPD), and a Children's Development Program added in 2023 (after-school learning centres, digital literacy, sports). Digital infrastructure is limited to a scholarship application portal and a tiered online donation platform.

The organization is funded through a mix of individual donations (Rs 500–Rs 30,000 suggested tiers), CSR partnerships with corporates such as Tata Steel Foundation, Bajaj Auto Ltd, Mitsubishi Corporation, Ramboll India, and TVS Sundaram Fasteners, institutional grants, and support from The Nippon Foundation. Strategic alliances with NSDC (2013), CII (2018), NHRC (2012), and SBI (2011) embed S-ILF into national skill-development, industry, and human-rights infrastructure. Leadership comprises Chairman Mr S Mahalingam (former CFO of TCS) and CEO Gaurab Sen (appointed December 2022, formerly Head of Programmes since 2020).

Name

Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation

Legal name

SASAKAWA- INDIA LEPROSY FOUNDATION

Website

https://silf.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) is an Indian non-profit, established in 2006, that supports leprosy-affected individuals and families across 21+ states and 278+ colonies through livelihood, education, humanitarian aid, advocacy, and children's development programs, funded by CSR partnerships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Social Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Leprosy rehabilitation services
• Vocational training programs
• Humanitarian aid services
• Livelihood support programs
• Advocacy awareness campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and CSR Funding: S-ILF operates as a non-profit organization funded through donations from individuals, corporations (CSR partnerships), and institutional funders. Revenue comes from one-time and recurring donations supporting livelihood projects, education scholarships, and humanitarian aid programs.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility Programs: Co-designed CSR programs with corporations such as Tata Group, Bajaj Group, and Mitsubishi Corporation. Programs include scholarship pipelines, livelihood accelerators, and WASH interventions with clear KPIs and transparent reporting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

S-ILF is a charitable foundation operating five integrated programs — livelihood micro-enterprise support, education and skills training (including scholarships and vocational courses), humanitarian aid, communication and advocacy, and a children development program — for leprosy-affected individuals and their families across 21+ Indian states. The foundation also operates an online donation platform and a dedicated scholarship application portal to support program delivery.

Product overview

Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) is a non-profit organization established in 2006 by Yohei Sasakawa, operating a portfolio of interconnected programs addressing the needs of leprosy-affected communities across India. The core service model consists of five main programmatic pillars: Livelihood Programs (micro-enterprise support through seed capital, training, and market linkages), Education & Skills Training (encompassing the HHDL-S Scholarship for secondary/higher education, S-ILF Nursing Scholarship for young women, and Vocational Skill Training in trades like tailoring, retail, IT, and automobile repair), Communication & Advocacy (awareness campaigns, campus conversations, and policy initiatives), Humanitarian Aid (emergency relief, healthcare support, WASH infrastructure, and tele-OPD services), and Children Development Program (after-school learning centres, digital literacy, and extra-curricular activities). These programs are supported by digital platforms including the scholarship application portal (scholarship.silf.in) for managing scholarship applications and the online donation platform for receiving contributions. The organization also runs awareness events including the annual Global Appeal, National/Regional Youth Festivals, and Rising to Dignity Awards. The integrated approach enables beneficiaries to progress from immediate relief through education and skills development to sustainable livelihood independence, while advocacy efforts work to eliminate the social stigma surrounding leprosy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• His Holiness Dalai Lama-Sasakawa Scholarship (HHDLSS): Scholarship program for children of leprosy-affected families to pursue secondary, senior secondary and higher education
• S-ILF Nursing Scholarship
• STEP-UP Program

Products and services

• Livelihood Program Micro-enterprise support program enabling individuals affected by leprosy to become self-employed through income-generating activities such as goat-rearing, dairy, poultry, tailoring, petty trade, and small-scale farming. Includes technical support, financial literacy training, business planning, and seed capital provision.
• HHDL-S Scholarship (His Holiness Dalai Lama-Sasakawa Scholarship) Scholarship program named after His Holiness the Dalai Lama that helps children from leprosy colonies complete secondary and senior secondary education and supports pursuit of higher professional courses across nine states of India.
• S-ILF Nursing Scholarship Flagship scholarship initiative supporting young girls from leprosy colonies to enter the nursing profession, one of the most employable and empowering career paths for women from underserved backgrounds.
• Vocational Skill Training Vocational programs training young dropouts in practical, in-demand skills including tailoring, retail, IT, and automobile repair, offering immediate income opportunities and pathways to dignified livelihoods.
• Communication and Advocacy Program Awareness and advocacy efforts targeting urban and rural audiences through campus conversations, youth festivals, corporate engagements, media campaigns, and policy initiatives to break myths and shift mindsets around leprosy.
• Humanitarian Aid Emergency relief and support for leprosy colony residents including ration kits, WASH infrastructure repair and construction, relief during natural calamities, MCR footwear, ulcer care kits, eye camps, and tele-OPD services.
• Children Development Program Holistic development program for children in leprosy colonies providing safe learning habitats, homework support, remedial tutoring, digital literacy, sports, self-defence, libraries, and extra-curricular activities.
• S-ILF Scholarship Application Portal Online scholarship application and management system (scholarship.silf.in) for HHDLSS and Nursing scholarship applications, registration, login, and application tracking for eligible candidates.
• Online Donation Platform Online donation system accepting one-time and monthly contributions with various preset amounts supporting specific interventions like ulcer care kits, solar lamps, skill training, wheelchairs, MCR footwear, and nutrition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ beneficiaries now earn with pride through livelihood programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018CII helped initiate corporate sensitization program. Shop-floor workshop with workers of JCB was organized as pilot project.
• NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013S-ILF and NSDC came together to mobilize and train youth from leprosy colonies. Pilot project initiated in five states.
• NHRC (National Human Rights Commission)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Supported the Young Partners' Program (YPP) for school children sensitization in 2012.
• The Nippon FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nippon Foundation (TNF) is a key strategic partner. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of TNF and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, founded S-ILF in 2006. TNF and S-ILF jointly organized the 5th Global Appeal in India in 2010. TNF provides ongoing support for leprosy elimination initiatives.
• PrathamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner logo visible on S-ILF website, indicating partnership for educational programs.
• Pearl AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation and skills partner logo visible on S-ILF website, indicating collaboration for skill training programs.
• JCBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sensitization pilot project organized with JCB workers through CII partnership.
• Oriental UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity collaboration for workshops, events, and educational partnerships.
• Teerthanker Mahaveer UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity collaboration for academic engagement and educational partnerships.
• The/Nudge FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization partnership for meaningful academic engagement with real-world impact.
• APAL (Association of People Affected by Leprosy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPAL leaders are involved in planning humanitarian aid interventions to ensure sustainability. APAL partnerships keep children's program progress rooted and sustained.
• NLR IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in NLR India's 25-year forum and WHO/NTD working groups.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NLR India (No Leprosy Remains): Dutch-founded NGO with India operations focused on leprosy detection, treatment, inclusion, and capacity building of partner organizations. Direct peer in the leprosy elimination space and an active collaborator with S-ILF in WHO/NTD working groups.
• LEPRA Society: India-based NGO working on leprosy and related diseases with similar program pillars including livelihood support, health referrals, and community awareness. Competes for the same CSR and institutional funding targeting leprosy-affected communities.
• Damien Foundation India Trust: Belgium-founded NGO with India operations delivering leprosy control, disability prevention, and socio-economic rehabilitation. Directly comparable in scope and beneficiary focus, competing for CSR and government health-program funding.
• Alert India: India-based NGO focused on leprosy elimination, disability prevention, and rehabilitation with comparable grassroots field operations across Indian states. Similar scale and program mix, competing for the same corporate and institutional donors.
• The Leprosy Mission Trust India: India's largest leprosy-focused NGO, operating across similar beneficiary populations (leprosy-affected individuals and their families) with comparable programs in livelihood restoration, education, healthcare, and advocacy. Direct competitor for the same corporate CSR funding pool.

Broad incumbents

• Smile Foundation: Large India-based social development NGO serving underprivileged children and families through education, healthcare, and livelihood programs. Competes for the same corporate CSR budget with a broader (non-disease-specific) beneficiary mandate and significantly larger scale.
• The Nippon Foundation: Major Japanese philanthropic foundation founded by Ryoichi Sasakawa and chaired by Yohei Sasakawa. Serves as S-ILF's founding sponsor and core strategic partner, with a far broader grantmaking mandate across maritime, education, and social welfare globally.

Others

• Sasakawa Health Foundation: Japan-based sister organization under the Sasakawa family ecosystem dedicated to leprosy elimination, public health, and human rights. Thematically aligned but operates outside India, more relevant as a programmatic peer than a direct competitor.
• The/Nudge Foundation: India-based poverty alleviation foundation focused on livelihoods and skilling. Active partner of S-ILF and broadly comparable in scale, funding model (CSR + institutional grants), and use of outcome measurement, though focused on a different beneficiary segment.

Emerging players

• AIFO India: Italian-founded NGO with India operations focused on leprosy, disability, and community health. Operates at smaller scale than S-ILF but with overlapping beneficiary populations and a comparable CSR partnership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sasakawa_india
• Facebookfacebook.com/silfindia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sasakawa-india-leprosy-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation