Satpuda Foundation

What Satpuda Foundation does

Satpuda Foundation is a non-profit conservation NGO founded in 2001 by Kishor Rithe and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, headquartered in Amravati, Maharashtra, India. The organization operates community-based wildlife conservation programs across 6-8 tiger reserves and approximately 6,500 sq km of protected area in central India (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh), including Pench, Tadoba-Andhari, Kanha, Navegaon-Nagzira, Satpura, and Melghat. Its portfolio comprises four core programs — Wildlife Conservation (anti-poaching, human-wildlife conflict mitigation via solar deterrents and natural barriers), Nature Education (2,581+ classroom lectures, 147 nature trails, 866 film shows in 115 villages and 35+ schools), Mobile Health Unit (737+ free medical camps treating ~70,000 patients in buffer villages), and Employment Cell (600+ youth placed in jobs since 2008). Support programs include the HUM Corporate Social Responsibility cell, international conservation courses, and the Saila Community and Wildlife Research and Resource Center.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic channels with no commercial product sales. Individual donations are structured into Green Force Donor (₹250-₹500), Green Force Patron (₹10,000+), and Satpuda Ranger (₹250/year) tiers, all eligible for 80G tax exemption. Institutional funding comes from foreign grants via FCRA clearance (US Fish & Wildlife Service, Born Free Foundation, Lifeforce Charitable Trust, B C Mehta Trust, Conservation Action Trust), corporate CSR partnerships through the HUM cell, and foundation-operated training programs. Distribution is purely direct-to-field: conservation officers, field assistants, and community officers deliver services in person across field offices at each major tiger reserve, supported by district units in Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Gondia, Indore, and Mumbai. The organization holds lifetime 80G tax exemption status (effective 17-08-2007), FCRA clearance, and PAN registration, and its founder sits on the National Board for Wildlife and Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife, providing direct policy influence.

Name

Satpuda Foundation

Legal name

Satpuda Foundation

Website

https://satpuda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Satpuda Foundation is a non-profit conservation NGO founded in 2001, operating community-based wildlife conservation, mobile healthcare, nature education, and livelihood programs across six to eight tiger reserves in central India. It serves 115 buffer villages in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, funded by individual donations, foreign grants, and corporate CSR partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation programs
• Community-based conservation
• Nature education services
• Mobile health camps
• Rural livelihood training

Headquarters

HQ city

Amravati

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream consisting of individual donations (Green Force Donor, Green Force Patron, Satpuda Ranger membership tiers) ranging from ₹250 to ₹10,000+. Donations below ₹10,000 go to the Administration Expenses pool. All donations are eligible for exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (effective 17-08-2007).
2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Partnerships: The 'HUM' cell actively engages corporate houses to fund specific projects, small initiatives, and provide resources (vehicles, field equipment, computers). Also accepts corporate waste (used envelopes, stationary), employee-donated materials (clothes, educational supplies), and website advertisements from corporate sponsors.
3. Foreign Grants and Donor Funding: Grants from foreign donors/sponsors including US Fish & Wildlife Service, Born Free Foundation, Lifeforce Charitable Trust, and others. Holds FCRA clearance enabling receipt of foreign donations. Also receives funding from Conservation Action Trust (CAT) for specific projects such as the Kiran Prabha Solar Mini Grid.
4. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from supporters who join as Satpuda Rangers (₹250). Members receive benefits including newsletters and annual reports showing project outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Satpuda Foundation is a non-profit conservation NGO delivering community-based wildlife conservation, nature education, free mobile healthcare, and rural livelihood training programs to tribal villages in the buffer zones of tiger reserves across Central India. Operating across 6 tiger reserves and 13 protected areas, it integrates anti-poaching support, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, alternative livelihood creation, and environmental education to reduce forest dependency while protecting tiger habitat.

Product overview

Satpuda Foundation is a non-profit NGO offering community-based conservation programs rather than a technology product. Its portfolio consists of four core programs: Wildlife Conservation (involving local communities in conservation action, anti-poaching, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation), Nature Education (environmental education for children and villagers through classroom activities, nature trails, and the Kids for Tigers Programme), Mobile Health Unit (free medical camps serving tribal villagers around tiger reserves), and Employment Cell (livelihood training for unemployed youth). Additional offerings include the HUM Corporate Social Responsibility cell for partnering with corporations, International Courses on conservation topics, and the Saila Community and Wildlife Research and Resource Center facility. These programs work together to protect wildlife in the Satpuda landscape while improving livelihoods of local communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HUM: A cell established by Satpuda Foundation to mitigate demands of corporate houses and provide them with an opportunity to extend their support for social/environmental field. HUM means 'we' or 'the strength of working together'.

Products and services

• Wildlife Conservation Program Community-based wildlife conservation program focused on involving local communities in sustainable conservation action through moisture conservation, afforestation, anti-poaching support, natural barriers against wildlife depredation, and community meetings with Forest Department and district administration officials.
• Nature Education Program Environmental education program for children and villagers including classroom lectures, nature games, jungle walks, drawing/painting competitions, nature trails, conservation rallies, and the Kids for Tigers Programme implemented across 25 schools in Nagpur, 10 schools in Akola, and additional schools in Pench, Tadoba-Andhari, and Kanha.
• Mobile Health Unit Free weekly medical camp service providing primary healthcare and medicines to tribal villagers in and around tiger reserves in Central India, conducted in consultation with Nature Conservation Society Amravati and serving 150-200 patients per camp weekly.
• Employment Cell Vocational training and placement initiative providing alternative livelihood skills to unemployed rural youth, including eco-tourism guiding, food products, soap making, incense sticks, candle making, and driving training, with 600+ youths placed since 2008.
• HUM Corporate Social Responsibility Cell Dedicated corporate engagement arm connecting corporate houses with conservation and social projects, helping companies contribute funds, vehicles, equipment, and other resources to fulfill CSR mandates while supporting Satpuda's field operations.
• International Conservation Courses International conservation education courses for conservation professionals, students, and researchers, conducted in collaboration with universities and conservation organizations.
• Saila Community and Wildlife Research and Resource Center Research and community resource center located in Pipariya village, Nagpur district, Maharashtra, in the buffer area of Pench Tiger Reserve, currently undergoing an upgrade fundraising campaign targeting ₹500,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~70,000 patients treated across 737+ medical camps over 6 years (150-200 patients weekly)
• +7 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• John Dyer / Last Chance to Paint (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026UK environmental artist and Fellow of Royal Geographical Society conducting live art expeditions with Gond tribal school children in Pench landscape. Partnered with Born Free Foundation. Children's artworks featured in global online gallery.
• PACE FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2016Partner organization involved in Global Tiger Day 2021 celebrations at Pench Tiger Reserve, contributing to rally organization and community engagement activities.
• SELCO Solar Light Private Limited (Bangalore)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 July 2016SELCO provided technical implementation of the Kiran Prabha Solar Mini Grid project, installing 2.4KV solar infrastructure in Ghatpendhari village. SELCO trained two local village youths to maintain the system. The project was commissioned July 2016 and inaugurated September 2016.
• Sant Gadgebaba Amravati UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2013Academic partner for the international course 'Behavior Change Conservation Campaigns: A new tool for Species Conservation with a Focus on the Tiger in India', November 9-29, 2013, Amravati, India.
• Environment Education and Conservation Global (EECG)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2013International course co-organizer alongside Satpuda Foundation, contributing expertise in behavior change communication for species conservation.
• Maharashtra Wildlife DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2013Government wildlife department co-organizer of the international course on conservation behavior change campaigns.
• Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2013Sister NGO and key operational partner. Satpuda Foundation assists NCSA in holding weekly medical camps. NCSA's Medical Health Unit plans camps in consultation with Satpuda Foundation's Conservation Officers. Also co-organizer of Vasundhara International Film Festival.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wildlife Conservation Trust: Mumbai-headquartered Indian NGO focused on wildlife conservation, anti-poaching, and community engagement around tiger reserves. Directly comparable grassroots-conservation model with similar CSR-driven funding.
• Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF): India-based nonprofit conducting community-based wildlife conservation and ecological research across multiple Indian landscapes. Highly comparable to Satpuda in integrating science, community engagement, and conservation action, though with a stronger research-publishing orientation.
• Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA): Sister NGO based in the same Vidarbha region, jointly running the Mobile Health Unit program with Satpuda. Most operationally overlapping peer given shared geography, programs, and founding-era networks.
• Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI): India-focused wildlife NGO specializing in combating wildlife crime and trade, working closely with forest departments. Comparable Indian NGO footprint and government-department partnership model.
• Tiger Watch: Ranthambore-based NGO focused on tiger conservation, anti-poaching intelligence, and village community programs. Similar community-based tiger-reserve model in a different Indian geography.

Broad incumbents

• Born Free Foundation: UK-based international wildlife charity and current Satpuda donor. Comparable animal-welfare and conservation mission, but operating globally with substantially larger resources.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest conservation organizations, with growing interest in community-integrated conservation models similar to Satpuda's. Useful comparability for funder-side scaling potential.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India: India program of WCS, running landscape-level conservation with scientific rigor. Overlaps with Satpuda on tiger-reserve community work but at significantly larger scale and budget.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India: India arm of the largest global conservation organization, operating across many landscapes and species. Much larger scale and broader portfolio than Satpuda, but competes for the same foreign and CSR funding pool.

Regional players

• Conservation Action Trust (CAT): Mumbai-based tiger conservation NGO and Satpuda's existing project partner (Kiran Prabha Solar Mini Grid). Regional Indian conservation peer with overlapping geographic focus and donor network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DGM0oLES5Em/?igsh=cnM4MDVjY3lnbnl1
• Xx.com/satpudatiger
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/satpuda-foundation-wildlife

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Satpuda Foundation