What Uddami does

Uddami is a US-registered nonprofit (501(c)(3); EIN 37-1497985) and its legally incorporated Indian operating entity, Uddami India Foundation (UIF), that provides free vocational skills training to disadvantaged youth from the poorest neighborhoods in central Kolkata. Founded in 1999 by Alison Saracena and Bryan Forst, the organization has historically centered on free computer-skills instruction, with adjunct courses in spoken English and life skills (workplace conduct, customer interaction, self-confidence). Under Executive Director Harshamanji Nanda—installed following the 2018 death of Program Director Rabia Khatoon—the curriculum was broadened to include basic bookkeeping, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training, home tailoring, and supporting wraparound services (feminine hygiene and gender resources community outreach, mental health counseling, and job placement assistance). All services are delivered in person at a single training center at 158/4 Prince Anwar Shah Road, Kolkata 700 045.

The business model is a donation-and-grant-funded nonprofit: services are provided at no charge to beneficiaries, with funding historically sourced from individual donors, volunteers, and grants from agencies in the US and EU. Following the dissolution of Uddami (US) in California, donor inflows are routed through a fiscal-sponsor arrangement with Her Future Coalition, a larger US-based nonprofit that also contracts UIF to deliver computer, spoken English, and life skills instruction for its own beneficiaries (sex-trafficked women in Kolkata). Revenue, headcount, and financial figures are not publicly disclosed; the organization reports 11-50 employees and serves hundreds of students cumulatively since inception.

There is no proprietary technology platform, no digital product, and no AI component—operations are people-intensive, instructor-led, and single-site. Strategic positioning centers on community embeddedness, free-of-charge access, and an integrated pathway from skills training to employment. The organization explicitly frames itself as filling a gap left by government schools, which do not offer computer education, and by private schools, which are unaffordable for the target population.

Name

Uddami

Legal name

Uddami India Foundation

Website

https://www.uddami.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Uddami India Foundation is a 501(c)(3)-backed nonprofit that delivers free computer, spoken English, life-skills, bookkeeping, CNA, and tailoring training plus job placement and support services to disadvantaged youth in Kolkata, India, funded by donations and grants now routed through fiscal sponsor Her Future Coalition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Vocational training
• Computer literacy
• Nonprofit education
• Life skills training
• Job placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Englewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Uddami (US) and Uddami India Foundation operate as nonprofit organizations funded entirely by donations from individuals, volunteers, and grants from funding agencies in the US and EU. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. The US entity is under dissolution, and new donations are accepted through Her Future Coalition's fiscal sponsorship (EIN 37-1497985).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Uddami India Foundation operates a free in-person vocational training center in Kolkata providing computer skills, spoken English, life skills, basic bookkeeping, certified nursing assistant (CNA), and home tailoring instruction to disadvantaged youth from the poorest neighborhoods of central Kolkata. Services are funded by donations and grants, and include holistic support such as feminine hygiene outreach, mental health counseling, and job placement assistance to help graduates secure employment.

Product overview

Uddami India Foundation (UIF) operates a unified nonprofit training center offering free vocational education programs to disadvantaged youth in Kolkata. The core offering is Computer Skills Training, supplemented by Spoken English and Life Skills modules to prepare students for employment. Job-oriented programs include Basic Bookkeeping, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training, and Home Tailoring. Support services encompass Feminine Hygiene and Gender Resources community outreach, mental health counseling, and job placement assistance. The portfolio functions as an integrated pathway from skills training to employment for youth from poor neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Computer Skills Training Free in-person computer literacy training program teaching technical skills to disadvantaged youth from poor neighborhoods in central Kolkata, covering basic to intermediate computer use that beneficiaries would otherwise have no access to through government or private schools.
• Spoken English Course English language instruction designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs that require English communication skills, delivered alongside the core computer training program.
• Life Skills Training Training covering workplace behavior, customer interaction, self-confidence building, and safe relationship skills, designed to prepare students unfamiliar with professional environments for entry into the workforce.
• Basic Bookkeeping Job-oriented accounting and bookkeeping training program preparing students for employment in administrative or financial roles.
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Certified nursing assistant certification program providing healthcare sector job training to prepare students for entry-level nursing careers.
• Home Tailoring Vocational training in garment making and tailoring skills to prepare students for employment in the textile and apparel sector.
• Job Placement Assistance Employment support services helping graduates find and secure jobs after completing training programs, connecting training outcomes to actual livelihood outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of young people trained in computer skills since 1999

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Her Future CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Her Future Coalition, a US-based nonprofit serving sex-trafficked women and disadvantaged young people in Kolkata, partnered with Uddami India Foundation in approximately 2021. HFC hired UIF to supply computer teacher, Spoken English teacher, and Life Skills instructor for HFC's own beneficiaries. HFC serves as the fiscal sponsor for UIF following Uddami (US)'s dissolution in California. HFC is described as a larger and more prosperous organization better suited to help sustain UIF. Their EIN is 37-1497985.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Her Future Coalition: US-based nonprofit serving sex-trafficked women and disadvantaged youth in Kolkata. Hired Uddami India Foundation to supply computer, spoken English, and life skills instructors for its own beneficiaries, and now serves as UIF's fiscal sponsor following the dissolution of Uddami (US). Operates the same beneficiary community with overlapping vocational programming.
• Magic Bus India Foundation: India-focused youth employability NGO delivering livelihood skills, life skills education, and job linkage to disadvantaged adolescents. Operates in Kolkata and other Indian cities, overlapping directly with UIF's beneficiary profile and curriculum model.
• Barefoot College: Nonprofit training rural and disadvantaged populations (often women) in vocational skills including solar engineering, tailoring, and basic computer use. Comparable in mission of equipping marginalized communities with employable skills, but operates primarily in rural India rather than urban Kolkata.

Broad incumbents

• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest education nonprofits, operating skills, vocational, and remedial learning programs across urban and rural India including West Bengal. Comparable in target population (disadvantaged youth) and free-of-cost service delivery, but at materially greater scale and with broader program breadth.
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC): Government-anchored apex body funding and certifying skilling programs across India, including West Bengal. Offers formal certification and employer linkages in many of the same trades UIF teaches (IT/computers, tailoring, healthcare support), but at vastly larger scale and with public-sector funding.
• Room to Read: Global education nonprofit operating literacy, gender equality, and life-skills programs across multiple countries including India. Comparable in combining core skills instruction with life-skills content and serving disadvantaged youth, though with a stronger K-12 focus.
• Naandi Foundation: Indian nonprofit delivering livelihood, education, and skilling programs to underprivileged youth across India. Comparable in vocational training delivery model and beneficiary profile, but operates across multiple Indian states with substantially larger funding.

Emerging players

• Digital Green: Nonprofit using video and technology to extend agricultural and livelihood training to rural communities in India and Africa. Comparable in training disadvantaged populations for income generation, though with a stronger agricultural and rural focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Uddami-132027827170
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uddami

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Uddami