What Paani Foundation does

Paani Foundation is a Maharashtra-based non-profit organization founded in 2016 by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and filmmaker Kiran Rao to address rural drought and farmer distress in the state. The foundation operates a community-led competition model organized around two flagship programs: the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup (2016-2019), a 45-day pre-monsoon village competition for water and soil conservation, and the Satyamev Jayate Farmer Cup (2022-present), an annual competition between farmer collectives (Shetkari Gat) to drive adoption of climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture. The foundation's core method is community mobilization rather than direct service delivery: it does not fund or implement work on behalf of farmers, but rather trains and motivates collectives to take action themselves.

The technology stack supporting these programs is modest and human-mediated. Core delivery consists of an extensive content library of 50+ animated explainer films and instructional PDFs on watershed management and crop-specific farming techniques, available in Marathi with English subtitles via the foundation's website and YouTube channel. The Digital Sheti Shalas platform connects farmers to agricultural scientists through live digital sessions covering crops including soybean, cotton, maize, bajra, jowar, wheat, rice, and vegetables. Residential training programs provide immersive in-person capability building. The foundation has no AI/ML capabilities, no public API, and no mobile application; its digital footprint is content- and training-focused rather than platform-based.

As a non-profit, Paani Foundation does not generate revenue from product or service sales. It is funded through a diversified coalition of corporate CSR contributions, grants, and donations from anchor funders (Bajaj Auto, Tata Trusts), primary funders (Rainmatter/Zerodha, ATE Chandra Foundation), legacy supporters (Reliance Foundation, Piramal Group, HDFC Group), and ecosystem partners. The organization works in close coordination with the Government of Maharashtra's Department of Agriculture, MSRLM-UMED, NDKSP, and ICAR, as well as 10+ Maharashtra agricultural universities. The operating geography is exclusively Maharashtra, with a field team of 200+ deployed across 17 regional areas, currently serving 6,000+ villages and 4,360 farmer collectives, with a planned 2026 scale-up to 351 blocks across 34 districts.

Name

Paani Foundation

Legal name

Paani Foundation

Website

https://paanifoundation.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Paani Foundation is a Maharashtra-based non-profit founded by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao that runs competition-based programs (Water Cup, Farmer Cup) to train and mobilize farmer collectives on water conservation and climate-resilient agriculture, funded by corporate CSR and government partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development and Agricultural Extension Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO), Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)

Keywords

• Water conservation programs
• Farmer collective training
• Watershed management services
• Climate-resilient agriculture
• Rural community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Paani Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds from various funders and partners. It does not generate revenue from product/service sales but operates through donations, CSR contributions, and grants from corporate partners, government departments, and foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Paani Foundation runs community-led competition programs and training services for rural farming communities in Maharashtra. Its flagship Satyamev Jayate Farmer Cup is an annual competition between farmer collectives that motivates and equips them to adopt climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture; the earlier Satyamev Jayate Water Cup (2016–2019) drove watershed conservation across 6,000+ villages. Complementing the competitions, the foundation delivers training through Digital Sheti Shalas (online learning with agricultural scientists), a library of 50+ training films, and residential training programs. The foundation does not fund farmers directly or implement work on their behalf; it acts as an enabler of collective, community-led action.

Product overview

Paani Foundation operates two flagship competition-based programs supported by training resources. The Satyamev Jayate Water Cup (2016-2019) was a village-level water conservation competition that created 550 billion litres of water storage capacity. The Satyamev Jayate Farmer Cup (2022-present) is a farmer collective competition for sustainable agriculture, offering motivation, knowledge, and strategic partnerships. These programs are supported by training resources including Digital Sheti Shalas (connecting farmers with scientists), residential training programs, and an extensive library of animated training films on watershed management and agricultural techniques. The foundation acts as a catalyst to unify rural communities rather than funding or implementing work directly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Satyamev Jayate Farmer Cup A pan-Maharashtra annual competition between farmer collectives (Shetkari Gat) for sustainable agriculture. Provides motivation, scientific knowledge, and strategic partnership benefits to help farmers slash cultivation costs, improve productivity, and command better prices for their produce through collectivisation and climate-resilient practices. Top collectives have seen a 40% reduction in per-acre costs and 163% rise in per-acre profits (KPMG study).
• Satyamev Jayate Water Cup An annual 45-day pre-monsoon competition (2016–2019) that united drought-stricken villages across Maharashtra to work beyond social barriers on water and soil conservation. Villages competed to build and repair water conservation structures through watershed management, creating 550 billion litres of water storage capacity.
• Training Films and Instructional Resources Animated explainer films and instructional PDFs covering watershed management techniques, sustainable agriculture practices, and farming methods, created in Marathi with English subtitles and freely accessible via the website and YouTube. Covers topics from contour bunding to crop-specific techniques for soybean, cotton, maize, bajra, jowar, wheat, rice, and vegetables.
• Digital Sheti Shalas (Digital Farming Schools) A free digital learning platform connecting farmers directly with agricultural scientists via digital/online channels to boost knowledge and income. Provides live sessions and training on scientific farming practices for various crops and is openly accessible.
• Residential Training Programs Immersive residential training experiences for farmers to learn collective and scientific farming practices, forming part of the foundation's Train–Collectivise–Activate approach to empower rural communities and underpin the Farmer Cup methodology.

Quantifiable outcome

• 550 billion litres of water storage capacity created
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 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 government partner, knowledge partner, ecosystem partner and supporting partner.

• Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Maharashtragovernment partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra is a key government partner working with Paani Foundation to enable the Pan-Maharashtra Farmer Cup. The government has committed to integrating the Soil and Water Conservation Department with the foundation's work across Maharashtra to strengthen water security efforts.
• Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM) - UMEDgovernment partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016MSRLM-UMED is a government partner supporting the Farmer Cup initiatives and rural livelihood improvement programs in Maharashtra.
• Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjivani Prakalp (NDKSP)government partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016NDKSP is a government agricultural program partner supporting sustainable farming initiatives and farmer empowerment through the Paani Foundation ecosystem.
• ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)knowledge partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ICAR, India's premier agricultural research organization, is a government partner providing scientific knowledge and research backing for sustainable agriculture practices promoted through the Farmer Cup.
• Maharashtra Agricultural Universities (MAFSU, Rahuri, Akola, Parbhani, Dapoli)knowledge partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Multiple Maharashtra agricultural universities including MAFSU Nagpur, Rahuri University, Akola University, Parbhani University, and Dapoli University partner with Paani Foundation to provide agricultural expertise and research support for farmer training programs.
• DSK Legalecosystem partnerOthers · 1 January 2016DSK Legal provides legal support and advisory services as an ecosystem partner strengthening Paani Foundation's operations.
• Luthra & Luthraecosystem partnerOthers · 1 January 2016Luthra & Luthra provides legal support services as an ecosystem partner for Paani Foundation.
• WOTR (Watershed Organisation Trust)ecosystem partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016WOTR, an organization focused on watershed management and rural development, partners with Paani Foundation to strengthen on-ground water conservation efforts.
• IITecosystem partnerTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016Indian Institutes of Technology provide technical expertise and knowledge partnership for watershed management and sustainable agriculture practices.
• Farmers For Forestecosystem partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Farmers For Forest organization supports afforestation initiatives and environmental sustainability programs as an ecosystem partner.
• Nipro Pharmasupporting partnerOthers · 1 January 2016Nipro Pharma provides supporting contributions towards building resilient rural communities through Paani Foundation.
• Moonray Collectivesupporting partnerOthers · 1 January 2016Moonray Collective supports Paani Foundation's initiatives through meaningful contributions toward building resilient rural communities.
• Mantra Propertiessupporting partnerOthers · 1 January 2016Mantra Properties contributes to Paani Foundation's rural community building efforts.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SRIJAN (Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action): Indian non-profit working on sustainable agriculture, water resources and farmer collectivization across central and western India. Comparable operating model focused on community-led livelihood improvements and watershed work in similar geographies.
• Digital Green: Non-profit using video-based extension to train smallholder farmers globally, including in India. Comparable on the training-content and farmer knowledge-transmission layer; reinforces the digital Sheti Shala approach with a more technology-centric delivery model.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: Large Indian non-profit working on rural livelihoods, sustainable agriculture, watershed development and livestock improvement. Directly comparable mission and operating model, with broader pan-India footprint as a contrast point.
• Action for Food Production (AFPRO): Non-profit focused on water, agriculture, and rural livelihoods for vulnerable communities. Closely comparable mission around water security and smallholder farmer empowerment, with a longer operating history in similar geographies.
• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): National non-profit promoting rural livelihoods through women-led farmer collectives and sustainable agriculture. Comparable approach to farmer collectivization and training, with similar focus on smallholders in drought/vulnerable geographies.
• Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): Pune-headquartered non-profit focused on watershed management and climate-resilient agriculture across rural India. Direct peer: same core activity (watershed + farmer empowerment) and overlapping geographies in Maharashtra; WOTR is already an ecosystem partner of Paani Foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Reliance Foundation: Large corporate philanthropy arm of Reliance Industries running rural development, agriculture, health and education programs at national scale. Comparable as a funder/partnership counterparty with overlapping focus areas, but operates as a broad portfolio rather than a single-mission movement.
• Tata Trusts: India's largest philanthropic foundation funding water, agriculture, rural livelihoods and social development at national scale. Comparable as a major donor in the same ecosystem; materially larger portfolio and broader thematic scope than Paani Foundation.

Others

• Centre for Science and Environment (CSE): Indian think tank and advocacy organization working on environment, water and sustainable agriculture policy. Adjacent peer: shares the water-security and sustainable-agriculture mission but operates via research, training and policy advocacy rather than direct grassroots mobilization.

Regional players

• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): Large Indian women's cooperative and NGO focused on rural livelihoods, agriculture and water security for women workers, primarily in Gujarat with growing national presence. Thematically comparable rural empowerment work, though structurally a cooperative and not a movement-style non-profit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paanifoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/paanifoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/paanifoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paanifoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/paanifoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Paani Foundation