Indian Red Cross Society

What Indian Red Cross Society does

Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is a statutory, volunteer-based humanitarian organization founded in 1920 under the IRCS Act, headquartered at 1 Red Cross Road, New Delhi, and operating as a leading member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement alongside the ICRC and IFRC. Its functional mandate covers disaster relief, disaster preparedness, blood services, health and community care, and humanitarian principle promotion, delivered through a federated network of 1,200+ branches across all states/UTs, 4.8M+ registered volunteers, 101K+ members, and 2,054+ registered donors.

The core service portfolio includes 100+ blood centres across 17 states/UTs performing 100% voluntary collection and supplying blood components to government hospitals, private hospitals, and vulnerable patient groups (thalassemia, hemophilia, HIV/AIDS, BPL card holders); the Social and Emergency Response Volunteer (SERV) disaster preparedness programme; First Aid and Home Nursing training via St. John Ambulance India (36 state/UT centres, 600+ regional/district centres); a TB Mitra DOTs program across 16 state branches; a Thalassemia Screening and Counselling Centre (since August 2020); a Flood Early Warning Alert System jointly operated with IFRC and Google in Assam and Bihar; a Youth Programme covering 88 schools/colleges and 44 communities in 11 states; a Family News Service for restoring family links; and six disaster-relief warehousing complexes with combined ~57 acres of land. Technical infrastructure spans Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT, inaugurated 2021), an apheresis unit (live October 2025), the eBloodServices mobile application (launched June 2020), integration with the government eRaktkosh blood inventory dashboard, and the IFRC Learning Platform for volunteer training.

IRCS is funded primarily through individual/institutional donations, membership fees, partnership grants from ICRC, IFRC, Irish Red Cross, and other international agencies, government support (NACO), and blood processing fees ranging from ₹960 (NAT) to ₹1,550 (private hospital packed red cells). Blood processing charges are waived for thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and BPL patients; surplus plasma is sent to Reliance Life Sciences for fractionation. The organization holds Model Blood Bank (2010), Regional Blood Centre (1996), NABH (2012), NABL (2013), and ISO 9001:2015 certifications, and is governed by a Chairman (currently the Union Health Minister), Secretary General, and state-branch committees.

Name

Indian Red Cross Society

Legal name

Indian Red Cross Society

Website

https://indianredcross.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Indian Red Cross Society is a 1920-founded statutory humanitarian non-profit operating 1,200+ branches, 4.8M+ volunteers, and 100+ blood centres across India, delivering disaster response, voluntary blood services, TB and thalassemia programs, and first-aid training under the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Social Assistance (624), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Emergency Response Team (ERT) Staffing & Incident Management Support (BPABANAD), Border Management & Humanitarian Border Assistance (BPADAHAL), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Blood banking services
• Disaster response operations
• Humanitarian aid services
• First aid training
• Volunteer health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Fees: Individual and institutional donations along with membership fees from various grade enrollments provide operational funding for humanitarian programs.
2. Blood Processing Charges: Processing fees charged to private hospitals for blood components, with reduced rates for government hospital patients. Free service for thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell, and BPL patients.
3. Partnership Funding: Support from international organizations including ICRC, IFRC, and government agencies for specific humanitarian programs and disaster response activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is a voluntary humanitarian organization operating over 1,200 branches across India with 4.8M+ trained volunteers, providing disaster response, blood banking, first aid training, and community health services. Its core offerings include 100+ blood centres collecting 100% voluntary donations, the SERV disaster response programme, St. John Ambulance training, thalassemia screening, TB treatment support, and flood early warning systems.

Product overview

Indian Red Cross Society operates a diversified humanitarian service portfolio organized around four core areas: disaster response, disaster preparedness, health and community care, and promotion of humanitarian principles. The organization functions as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product. Key offerings include Blood Services (with over 100 blood centres, eBloodServices mobile app, and NAT testing capabilities), the Social and Emergency Response Volunteer (SERV) Programme for disaster response, First Aid and Home Nursing training through St. John Ambulance India, specialized health programs (Thalassemia Screening, TB Mitra), Youth Programme, Flood Early Warning Alert System, Family News Service for Restoring Family Links, Partners for Resilience climate program, Education & Training initiatives, and Disaster Relief Warehousing. These programs operate independently while sharing resources such as the nationwide branch network of over 1,200 branches, volunteer base of 4.8 million, and warehouse infrastructure across six locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blood Services / Blood Banks
• Social and Emergency Response Volunteer (SERV) Programme
• First Aid Training Programme
• St. John Ambulance (India) Training
• Thalassemia Screening and Counselling Centre
• TB Programme / TB Mitra
• Youth Programme
• Flood Early Warning Alert System
• Family News Service / Restoring Family Links
• Partners for Resilience (PfR) Programme
• Disaster Relief Warehousing
• Livelihood Program
• Education & Training Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% voluntary blood collection at NHQ Blood Centre
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Partners for Resilience (PfR) AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Alliance of Netherlands Red Cross (lead), CARE Nederland, Cordaid, Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, and Wetlands International. Focuses on reducing disaster risk and enhancing livelihoods through integrated approach addressing climate change and ecosystem management. IRCS implementing in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu since 2016.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFRC is the world's largest humanitarian network providing support for disaster response, disaster preparedness, health programs, and organizational development. IRCS is a leading member of this movement comprising ICRC, 192 National Societies, and International Federation.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRC supports IRCS through cooperation projects covering Red Cross emblem dissemination, Fundamental Principles awareness, Safer Access, SERV Programme, First Aid, Youth Programmes, Livelihood Activities, and Family News Service. Activities covered 15 states in 2017-18.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project with IFRC and Google for flood early warning alerts in Assam and Bihar. Google provides alert technology while IRCS volunteers disseminate warnings to vulnerable communities through smartphone training and 24x7 flood control rooms.
• India Meteorological Department (IMD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed on 26 Feb 2019 for information sharing on weather and climate data to support flood early warning alert system operations.
• National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACO supports IRCS NHQ Blood Centre as a NACO supported blood component Separation Unit. Provides technical and operational support for blood safety programs.
• Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRCS sends surplus plasma/FFP to Reliance Life Sciences for fractionation. In 2023-24, 19,150 units of surplus plasma/FFP were sent, supporting national blood product supply chain.
• Thalassaemic IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization providing NAT tested packed red cells at subsidized rate for thalassemia patients registered at IRCS NHQ.
• Sant Nirankari MandalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReligious organization conducting regular blood donation camps with IRCS - organized 10 blood donation camps providing 1,188 donors in 2023-24.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Red Cross: Sister National Society within the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement; operates the largest US blood services and disaster response programme and is the most direct functional peer to IRCS across blood banking, training and humanitarian relief.
• British Red Cross: UK National Society of the Red Cross movement offering a comparable portfolio of blood support, refugee/family tracing, first aid training and disaster response; directly comparable in mission, programme mix and statutory humanitarian status.
• Habitat for Humanity India: India arm of a global nonprofit offering disaster resilient housing, volunteer mobilization and community programmes; comparable Indian non-profit structure, donor model and grassroots volunteer network.

Emerging players

• Sankalp India Foundation: Bengaluru-based nonprofit specializing in voluntary blood donation and thalassemia management — directly overlapping with IRCS NHQ's blood and thalassemia programmes at smaller scale.

Regional players

• Pakistan Red Crescent Society: South Asian sister society delivering humanitarian relief, blood services and disaster response in Pakistan; comparable mission, similar dependence on ICRC/IFRC support, and regional parallel in scale.
• Bangladesh Red Crescent Society: Bangladesh's equivalent national humanitarian society, active in disaster response (especially cyclones/floods), blood services and community health; relevant regional comparison for IRCS's SERV and flood-early-warning models.
• Sri Lanka Red Cross Society: Sri Lanka's National Society running blood, first aid and disaster programmes; smaller than IRCS but operates under the same IFRC framework and offers a comparable South Asian benchmark.

Others

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Geneva-based ICRC supports IRCS through SERV, First Aid, Youth, Family News and Safer Access programmes; comparable humanitarian mission focused on conflict and vulnerable populations.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Umbrella federation of 192 National Societies and IRCS's parent network; relevant as a funding, learning-platform and standards-setting counterpart rather than a direct service competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders: Major international medical-humanitarian NGO operating emergency medical relief in India and globally; broader clinical focus but overlaps with IRCS on emergency health response and humanitarian principles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ircsofficial
• Xx.com/IndianRedCross
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ircsnewdelhi

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indian Red Cross Society