What Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation does

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in New Delhi, India, with its U.S. arm headquartered in Houston, Texas. It operates the largest grassroots education movement in remote rural and tribal India, running 89,039 single-teacher primary schools that serve 2.34 million children annually and have produced 10 million+ literate children since inception. Programs are delivered by 101,417 local teachers, 8,103 voluntary field workers, and a network of 400,000+ international volunteers across 26 Indian states and 100,000+ villages, with chapters in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other geographies.

The organization's core offering is built on a platform-plus-modules architecture. The flagship Ekal Vidyalaya primary school (one teacher, ~30 children, ages 4-10, 2 hours/day, 6 days/week) anchors a portfolio of integrated programs: E-Shiksha tablet-based digital learning (3,780 schools, 140,040 students), Ekal on Wheels mobile computer labs (49 units, partnership with IIT Bombay's Spoken Tutorial Project), 98 fixed Computer Training Labs, Telemedicine Enhanced Arogya (117 Arogya Resource Centers, 69 telemedicine-equipped, 1.74 million healthcare beneficiaries, partnership with Intelehealth), Nutritional Gardens, Tailoring and Micro-Entrepreneurship training, Sustainable Agriculture, and Integrated Village Development (47 IVD clusters, 700,364 beneficiaries). Each module targets a discrete pain point — literacy, digital divide, healthcare access, women's economic participation, and rural livelihoods — and they are bundled into 30-village IVD clusters designed to produce self-reliant communities.

Ekal operates a donation-driven revenue model. Individual donors sponsor schools at $500/year (30 children), while project sponsorships range from $30,000 (Computer Training Lab covering 30 villages/3 years) to $250,000 (Integrated Village Development covering 30 villages/5 years). Diversified funding channels include direct website donations, Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #12279) and World Bank Community Connections Campaign (WB-CCC) workplace giving, a Trust & Will estate-planning partnership for legacy gifts, chapter-based fundraising across U.S. cities, and DIY supporter campaigns. Administrative costs are kept under 10% via the volunteer-driven delivery model. The Ekal Abhiyan Trust serves as the global umbrella coordinating eight operating subsidiaries (Friends of Tribals Society, Ekal Sansthan, Arogya Foundation of India, Ekal Gramothan Foundation, Shree Hari Satsang Samiti, Ekal Gram Sangathan, Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad, and Ekal Global Foundation).

Name

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation

Legal name

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA

Website

https://ekal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation operates the largest grassroots non-governmental education and development movement in rural India, running 89,039 single-teacher schools serving 2.34 million children, with integrated modules in digital literacy, telemedicine healthcare, livelihoods, and women's empowerment across 100,000+ villages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Education and Integrated Village Development Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Homeschool Programs & Online Curriculum Schools (EDAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foundational Computer & Device Literacy (EDAAAIAA), Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK), Adult Literacy, Numeracy & Second-Chance Education (BPADAKAF)

Keywords

• Rural primary education
• Single-teacher schools
• Digital literacy training
• Rural telemedicine healthcare
• Women's empowerment livelihoods

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations - Individual: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring donations to support schools, healthcare, digital education, and integrated village development programs. $500 USD supports 1 school with 30 children for a year.
2. Corporate Giving Programs: Workplace giving through Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #12279) and World Bank Community Connections Campaign (WB-CCC) allowing employees to contribute through payroll deductions.
3. Planned Giving / Legacy Giving: Partnership with Trust & Will offering free estate plans to donors who include Ekal in their wills, creating long-term sustainable funding.
4. Project-specific Sponsorship: Donors can sponsor specific projects: Computer Training Lab ($30,000 for 30 villages/3 years), Telemedicine ($50,000 for 30 villages/5 years), Integrated Village Development ($250,000 for 30 villages/5 years).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation operates single-teacher primary schools (Ekal Vidyalayas) delivering free literacy, numeracy, health, civic, and value education to children ages 4–10 in rural and tribal villages across India. Around this core program, the foundation bundles digital learning (E-Shiksha tablets, Ekal on Wheels mobile labs, Computer Training Labs), telemedicine-enabled healthcare (Telemedicine Enhanced Arogya), nutritional gardens, and women's livelihood training (tailoring, micro-entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture), all unified under an Integrated Village Development cluster model spanning 30 villages each.

Product overview

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its flagship Primary Schools (Ekal Vidyalayas) - one-teacher schools providing free literacy education to rural and tribal children. The organization offers multiple integrated modules including Digital Education products (E-Shiksha tablets, Ekal on Wheels mobile labs, Computer Training Labs), Healthcare (Telemedicine Enhanced Arogya, Nutritional Gardens), Livelihoods (Tailoring, Micro Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Agriculture), and Women's Empowerment. The Integrated Village Development program unifies all these components in 30-village clusters. Additional services include Planned Giving for legacy donations and DIY Fundraising Campaign tools. All programs are supported by an active volunteer network across multiple countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Telemedicine Enhanced Arogya: Healthcare program providing last mile access to medical services through telemedicine and community health workers.
• E-Shiksha
• Ekal on Wheels

Products and services

• Ekal Vidyalaya Primary Schools Free single-teacher primary schools serving 30 children each (ages 4–10) for 2 hours/day, 6 days/week, providing literacy, numeracy, health, civic, and value education to children in remote and tribal villages across India. Currently 89,039 schools reaching 2.34 million children.
• E-Shiksha / E-Education Tablet-based digital learning program delivering audio-visual educational videos, poems, stories, language practice, science and math games, and music to students in single-teacher primary schools. Currently active in 3,780 schools reaching 140,040 students.
• Ekal on Wheels Mobile computer lab bringing digital literacy (computer skills, MS Office, internet, email, digital banking) to underserved youth in remote villages. 49 mobile labs operating with 58,363 beneficiaries; won the 2016 Digital India Conclave's Digital Trailblazers Award.
• Computer Training Labs Fixed computer training centers providing three-month practical computer-skills programs to rural youth. 98 active locations across India serving 30,555 students, using IIT Bombay's spoken tutorial curriculum.
• Telemedicine Enhanced Arogya Healthcare Community healthcare program providing telemedicine consultations, preventive health education, and in-person care through 117 Arogya Resource Centers (69 with telemedicine facilities) covering 3,480 villages and 1.74 million beneficiaries. Local women trained as Arogya Sevikas deliver ground-level care.
• Nutritional Gardens Home nutrition garden initiative addressing malnutrition and promoting preventive healthcare through education on planting nutritious family gardens and medicinal herbs in rural households.
• Tailoring Skill Training Skill training program empowering rural women with sewing skills and connecting them to market opportunities for micro-entrepreneurship, increasing earning potential and self-confidence.
• Micro Entrepreneurship Program Program providing training, resources, and mentorship to individuals in villages to start and sustain small businesses, encouraging self-sufficiency and rural economic development.
• Sustainable Agriculture Training Agricultural training program teaching farmers organic farming and compost techniques for higher crop yields, better soil health, increased revenue, and market linkages.
• Integrated Village Development (IVD) Comprehensive cluster-based program adopting groups of 30 villages and combining Ekal Primary Schools, Women Empowerment Centers, Computer Training Labs, Telemedicine Arogya Centers, and Nutritional Gardens. 47 IVD centers operational with 700,364 beneficiaries served to date, with a goal of 36,000 integrated villages by 2030.
• Planned Giving / Legacy Giving Legacy donation program in partnership with Trust & Will offering free estate plans to supporters who include Ekal in their wills, creating long-term sustainable funding for the movement.
• DIY Fundraising Campaigns Do-it-yourself online fundraising platform allowing individual supporters to create personal campaigns for causes including education, digital divide, women's empowerment, and disaster relief, with active examples raising funds for Ekal programs.
• Ekal Vanyatra (Village Visit Program) Experience Rural India program offering supporters the opportunity to visit Ekal schools, tailoring centers, computer labs, Arogya centers, and Integrated Village Development centers to witness the foundation's impact firsthand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89,039 schools operating with 2.34 million children currently enrolled
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IIT Bombay Spoken Tutorial ProjectcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with IIT Bombay's Spoken Tutorial Project for the development and delivery of computer training curriculum used in Ekal on Wheels mobile labs and Computer Training Labs across India.
• IntelehealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for telemedicine technology connecting village health workers (Arogya Sevikas) with remote doctors, enabling last-mile healthcare delivery in rural communities.
• Trust & WillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEstate planning partnership offering free wills and trusts ($599 value) to Ekal supporters, facilitating planned giving and legacy donations.
• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorkplace giving program allowing U.S. federal employees and retirees in 145 countries to contribute via payroll deductions (CFC #12279).
• World Bank Community Connections Campaign (WB-CCC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate philanthropy program enabling World Bank Group employees in 135 countries to contribute through workplace giving.

Scale indicators28 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Naandi Foundation: Indian social sector organization focused on education, skill-building, and safe drinking water in rural and tribal areas. Comparable rural India footprint with operations in multiple states and integrated program model.
• Digital Green: Organization that uses video and digital tools to train farmers and rural communities in India and Africa. Comparable rural digital literacy focus with technology-enabled last-mile training delivery model.
• CRY (Child Rights and You): Indian child rights nonprofit working on education, healthcare, and child protection for underprivileged children. Comparable urban + rural education nonprofit model with corporate and individual donor base.
• Pratham Education Foundation: India's largest education NGO operating learning programs for underprivileged children; runs flagship programs like Read India and ASER assessments. Directly comparable as a large-scale grassroots education nonprofit with focus on literacy outcomes and low-cost delivery.
• Barefoot College: Rural India education and skills training organization headquartered in Rajasthan, training village grandmothers as solar engineers, teachers, and health workers. Comparable rural India grassroots education model with non-formal training focus.
• Smile Foundation: Indian NGO operating education, healthcare, and livelihood programs for underprivileged children and families. Comparable multi-program platform model with corporate partnership focus (Mission Education, Smile on Wheels).
• Akshaya Patra Foundation: India's largest mid-day meal NGO serving millions of children in government schools. Adjacent but comparable in scale, operational footprint across rural India, and donor-funded nonprofit model supporting education outcomes.
• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): Indian women's empowerment organization supporting rural women through skills training, micro-enterprise, and healthcare. Comparable rural women's empowerment and livelihood training programs (tailoring, micro-entrepreneurship).

Broad incumbents

• Aga Khan Foundation: International development organization with significant rural education and healthcare programs across South Asia including India. Broader international development focus with similar rural last-mile service delivery model and diaspora funding dimensions.

Others

• Rural Education Action Program (REAP) at Stanford: Stanford-affiliated research program partnering with rural schools across China, India, and other countries on evidence-based education interventions. Comparable rural education focus and India footprint, but operates as research/action lab rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EkalBharat
• Facebookfacebook.com/EkalBharat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekal-abhiyan-india

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 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 Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation