What Seva Mandir does

Seva Mandir is a non-profit rural development organization founded in 1968 in Udaipur, Rajasthan, by Dr. Mohan Sinha Mehta. It serves rural and tribal communities across approximately 1,500 villages in the hilly, semi-arid terrain of southern Rajasthan, reaching roughly 1 million people. Its core model is community-led development through village-level institutions called Gram Samuhs (1,034 groups covering 100,000+ families) and 103+ regional federations, with Village Development Committees democratically elected to govern program priorities spanning education, health, women's empowerment, livelihoods, natural resource management, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), and peri-urban governance.

The organization's programmatic portfolio includes Balwadis (full-day preschools for ages 1-5), Shiksha Kendras (bridge schools for out-of-school children aged 6-14), Youth Resource Centres, Women's Resource Centres, a Women's Shelter (Swadhar Greh) for abuse victims, Self-Help Groups for women's financial independence, Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) camps, WASH infrastructure, solar and low-tech solutions, and sports/youth development programs. Programs are delivered directly through field staff and community institutions rather than through a technology platform; Seva Mandir has no proprietary software product, no app, and no API. Two adjacent ventures — Sadhna (women's garments enterprise) and Udaipur Urja Initiatives (improved cookstoves) — originated as Seva Mandir programs and have since become independent entities.

Seva Mandir's revenue is generated exclusively through individual donations (tiered from INR 500 to INR 10,000), CSR/corporate foundation grants (Axis Bank Foundation, Larsen and Toubro, Colgate Palmolive, Oracle, JK Tyre, Hindustan Zinc, MakeMyTrip, Bajaj, Mahindra, RBS Foundation India, and others), and cross-border fundraising through UK Friends of Seva Mandir and US Friends of Seva Mandir. Disclosed allocation is 87% to programs and 13% to support costs. The organization is registered under the Rajasthan Society Act (149/1967-68), holds FCRA registration (125690002) for foreign contributions, and is recognized under Indian tax law (80G) for tax-deductible donations.

Name

Seva Mandir

Legal name

Seva Mandir

Website

https://sevamandir.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Seva Mandir is a non-profit rural development organization founded in 1968 in Udaipur, Rajasthan, serving tribal and rural communities across 1,500 villages in southern Rajasthan through community-led programs in education, health, women's empowerment, livelihoods, and natural resource management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development and Community Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Community Support Services (Case Management, Referrals) (EDAJAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family/Parent-Focused SEL & Home Practice Programs (EDACAOAG), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC), Communication, Collaboration & Conflict Resolution Skills (EDAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Rural development
• Community empowerment
• Women empowerment
• Child nutrition
• Sustainable livelihoods

Headquarters

HQ city

Udaipur

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Seva Mandir accepts individual donations through its website platform, with tax-deductible donations available for Indian taxpayers. The organization also receives support through UK Friends of Seva Mandir (eligible for Gift Aid) and US Friends of Seva Mandir (tax-deductible for US residents).
2. Corporate Foundation Grants: Seva Mandir receives funding from corporate foundations and CSR partners including Axis Bank Foundation, Larsen and Toubro, Colgate Palmolive, JK Tyre, Oracle, and others for specific project implementations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Seva Mandir is a non-profit rural development organization that delivers community-based programs across 1,500 villages in southern Rajasthan covering education (Balwadis, Shiksha Kendras, Residential Learning Camps), women's empowerment (Self-Help Groups, Women's Resource Centres, Women's Shelter), child nutrition and health (CMAM camps, home-based care), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), natural resource management, and livelihoods. Programs are implemented through democratically elected village institutions (Gram Samuhs, Village Development Committees) and trained community-based staff.

Product overview

Seva Mandir is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of community development programs rather than a unified technology product. Its programs include Balwadis (full-day preschools), Shiksha Kendras (bridge schools for out-of-school children), Youth Resource Centres (YRCs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for women's financial independence, Women's Resource Centres, Women's Shelter, and sports programs (football, volleyball, kho kho, kabaddi). These programs are implemented through community institutions (Gram Samuhs and Village Development Committees) and address sustainable development, education, women's empowerment, livelihoods, water/sanitation/hygiene (WASH), malnutrition prevention, and peri-urban governance. The organization does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Balwadis Full-day preschools for children aged 1-5, run by trained Sanchalikas, providing meals, micronutrients, and early childhood development. Seva Mandir operates 160+ Balwadis reaching 30,000 children.
• Shiksha Kendras Bridge schools providing quality education to out-of-school children aged 6-14 in remote rural hamlets.
• Youth Resource Centres (YRCs) Physical spaces for young people aged 14-25 to interact, organized by youth volunteers, offering training, workshops, theatre, exposure visits, libraries, and sport activities. 10 YRCs operate; 1,750 youth have received skills training.
• Self-Help Groups (SHGs) Village-level groups of women enabling savings, affordable credit, and social support. 700+ SHGs with 10,000 women have accumulated INR 116 million in savings.
• Women's Resource Centres Centres run by trained women leaders to recognize cases needing referral to external bodies (police/courts) and resolve issues including domestic abuse, property disputes, and witch accusations. 10 centres operate.
• Women's Shelter (Swadhar Greh) Shelter for women victims of abuse offering support, rehabilitation, counselling, legal aid, medical/psychological care, skills training, and education for up to 5 years, accommodating 30 residents. 770 women sheltered since 2016.
• Sport Programs Sports programs for youth including football, volleyball, kho kho, kabaddi, cricket, badminton, and traditional sports like archery, fostering team-building, confidence, and gender equality.
• Residential Learning Camps (RLC) Residential Learning Camps providing basic education to out-of-school children from tribal communities.
• CMAM Camps (Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition) Community-based management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) through fortnightly camps providing ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF). 600 children treated for malnutrition since 2018.
• WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Interventions providing access to clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education, including water tank construction, well restoration, toilet building, and WASH behavioral campaigns. 7,000 families have clean water access and 1,800 families have functional toilets.
• Home-based Care (Balsakhis) Home-based care provided by Balsakhis (community health workers) offering neonatal/infant care, nutrition advice, growth monitoring, and referrals for children from birth to two years.
• Peri-Urban Governance (Delwara/Kelwara) Governance initiative in peri-urban settlements creating Citizens Development Forums, neighbourhood committees, and supporting heritage conservation and waste management.
• Solar & Low-tech Solutions Water harvesting, afforestation, and solar pumping solutions providing communities with reliable clean energy and irrigation. 3,880 families have solar energy access; 17 billion litres water-harvesting capacity created through 105 structures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,350 hectares of common land developed; 63,000+ families benefited; 300,000 tonnes carbon sequestered annually
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Plan InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Child Representative Programme (1999-2025) giving children aged 3-18 a voice in community development. Covers 132 villages with over 5,000 Child Representatives.
• Plan IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop community understanding of child protection and development issues.
• Udaipur Urja InitiativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarmer producer company linked to provide access to fair markets for farmers. Also provides improved cookstoves.
• Basic Healthcare Services (BHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical support for AMRIT Clinic at Kojawara for treating severely malnourished children.
• SadhnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's enterprise in Delwara with about 300 women artisans producing hand-crafted garments. Started as Seva Mandir initiative and became independent entity.
• Childline India FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitating two Childline India Foundation centres - one in Udaipur city and one in rural and tribal area of Jhadol.
• UK Friends of Seva MandircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharity registered in UK which passes funds raised to Seva Mandir. Donations eligible for Gift Aid.
• US Friends of Seva MandircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharity registered in US which passes funds raised to Seva Mandir. Tax-deductible for US residents.

Scale indicators30 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): Large women's-empowerment and Self-Help Group federation in India focused on financial independence, livelihoods, and social security for poor women. Directly comparable on SHG model, women's savings/credit, and grassroots federation structure.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: Long-established Indian rural development NGO focused on livestock, livelihoods, natural resources, and community empowerment in tribal and rural areas. Comparable program mix, geographic focus, and community-led delivery model.
• Barefoot College: Tilonia-based rural development organization focused on solar electrification, water, education, and skills training delivered by community members. Comparable in community-led, semi-arid rural setting with strong international recognition.
• Pratham: One of India's largest education-focused NGOs operating across many states with programs for out-of-school children and learning outcomes. Highly comparable as a large, multi-program, donor-funded grassroots organization working in education and child development.
• Restless Development (India): Youth-led development organization working on livelihoods, sexual and reproductive health, and civic engagement in rural India. Comparable in youth-skills focus and rural community delivery, though with narrower thematic scope.
• Gram Vikas: Odisha-based rural development organization known for community-led water and sanitation, livelihoods, and self-governance programs in tribal hamlets. Closely comparable in mission, community institution building, and integrated WASH-plus-livelihoods model.
• Swayam Shikshan Prayog: Indian NGO working on women's empowerment, clean energy, and climate-resilient agriculture in rural Maharashtra and other states. Comparable in combining women's SHGs, livelihoods, and sustainable natural-resource programs.
• WaterAid India: WASH-focused NGO working on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene with rural and marginalized communities in India. Comparable in WASH program design, community-based delivery, and donor-funded operating model.

Regional players

• Navsarjan Trust: Gujarat-based Dalit rights and rural development organization working on gender justice, anti-discrimination, and community empowerment in tribal and rural areas. Comparable in rights-based rural community empowerment, with regional geographic concentration in western India.

Broad incumbents

• CARE India: Large international NGO with operations across India focused on health, nutrition, education, and women's empowerment. Comparable in program breadth and rural delivery, but operates at much larger national scale with broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sevamandir
• Facebookfacebook.com/sevamandir

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Seva Mandir