Vandrevala Foundation

What Vandrevala Foundation does

Vandrevala Foundation, founded in 2009 by Priya Hiranandani-Vandrevala and Cyrus Vandrevala and headquartered in Mumbai, India, is a non-profit organization operating India's first 24x7x365 mental health helpline. The foundation provides free psychological counselling and crisis intervention to anyone experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, suicidal thoughts, or emotional distress, accessible via phone (+91 9999 666 555) and WhatsApp in 11 vernacular languages across India and abroad. Over 14 years it has facilitated more than 1 million confidential conversations.

The platform combines a freemium delivery model with a paid consultation tier. Free services include the round-the-clock helpline, online group therapy sessions, and pro bono counselling for individuals facing financial or personal barriers. Paid video/telephonic consultations are offered at Rs. 500-750 per 45-60 minute session with qualified mental health professionals selected from a panel of psychologists, psychiatrists, and licensed clinical psychologists. The Skill Academy provides extensive virtual training to employees and volunteers, most of whom hold postgraduate degrees in psychology, psychiatric social work, or M.Phil/PhD credentials. Supporting infrastructure includes Zoho Forms for appointment booking and partnerships with 300+ Indian universities and colleges that channel students and interns for training and counselling referrals.

Go-to-market relies on direct-to-consumer access combined with awareness campaigns, earned media coverage in major Indian publications, celebrity endorsements (notably Saif Ali Khan Pataudi), and partnerships with governments and educational institutions to reduce stigma around mental health. The founders have extended their social impact work beyond India via The Bricks Foundation in California, focused on addiction recovery infrastructure. There is no disclosed venture capital or institutional investment; the organization operates on grants and founder funding alongside earned revenue from paid consultations.

Name

Vandrevala Foundation

Legal name

Cyrus and Priya Vandrevala Foundation

Website

https://vandrevalafoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vandrevala Foundation is an India-based non-profit operating a free 24x7 mental health helpline via phone and WhatsApp in 11 languages, supplemented by paid video/telephonic therapy sessions, group therapy, and a volunteer training academy serving individuals in mental health crisis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Mental Health Therapy Platforms (Talk Therapy) (HLALAEAA), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Crisis intervention helpline
• Psychological support services
• Therapy consultation
• Suicide prevention hotline

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Free Helpline Service: Charitable free mental health support service available 24x7 via phone and WhatsApp, funded by the foundation as part of its non-profit mission.
2. Paid Consultation Sessions: Video/telephonic therapy sessions with expert mental health practitioners. Sessions priced starting at Rs. 750 per session for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Users can select preferred counsellor and book recurring appointments.
3. Pro Bono Counselling: Short-term care support offered to individuals in need who face financial or personal barriers to seeking help.
4. Group Therapy Sessions: Free online group therapy sessions focusing on various concerns with expert facilitators, providing sense of belonging and shared growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vandrevala Foundation provides free 24x7x365 mental health crisis intervention and psychological counselling via phone and WhatsApp, available across India in 11 vernacular languages. It complements these free services with paid video/telephonic consultation therapy sessions with qualified mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors), free online group therapy, pro bono counselling for those with financial barriers, and a Skill Academy that trains volunteers and employees in crisis intervention.

Product overview

Vandrevala Foundation offers a dual-tier mental health support platform consisting of a free 24x7 crisis intervention helpline (accessible via phone and WhatsApp) and a paid consultation service featuring video/telephonic therapy sessions with qualified mental health professionals. The free helpline serves as the organization's core crisis support offering, while the paid consultation platform enables long-term therapeutic engagement. Supporting services include the Skill Academy (volunteer training), free group therapy sessions, and pro bono counselling for those with access barriers. The foundation has facilitated over 1 million conversations since 2009 and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Mental Health Helpline Free 24x7x365 crisis intervention helpline providing psychological counselling and emotional support via phone and WhatsApp to anyone in India experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, suicidal thoughts, or emotional distress.
• Paid Consultation Paid video/telephonic consultation therapy sessions with qualified mental health experts (psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors). Sessions cost Rs. 500-750 per 45-60 minute session and offer long-term therapeutic support with preferred counsellor continuity.
• Free Group Therapy Sessions Free online group therapy sessions focusing on various mental health concerns with expert facilitators, providing participants with a sense of belongingness and shared growth.
• Pro Bono Counselling Services Short-term pro bono counselling support for individuals in need who face financial or personal barriers to seeking professional mental health help, creating an accessible and inclusive environment.
• Skill Academy Volunteer Training Program Volunteer recruitment and training program that prepares employees and volunteers (most with psychology backgrounds) through extensive virtual training by licensed mental health professionals to manage crisis conversations effectively.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 million+ conversations facilitated over 14 years of operation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Bricks FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Founders (Cyrus and Priya Vandrevala) are working to create affordable infrastructure in California for those struggling with addiction through the creation of The Bricks Foundation. This represents the founders' expanded efforts beyond the Vandrevala Foundation's Indian operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Amaha: India-based mental health platform offering online therapy, psychiatry, and self-care tools via app and web. Comparable as a digital mental health service in India with both paid therapy and free resources, though with stronger product/tech surface.
• YourDOST: Indian online counselling and emotional wellness platform serving students and working professionals via chat, voice, and video. Comparable in target demographic (students/young adults) and therapy delivery model, with established university partnerships.
• Wysa: AI-driven mental health platform with chatbot-based emotional support and human therapist escalation. Comparable as an India-originated digital mental health service serving anxiety, depression, and crisis — though with an AI-first delivery model rather than helpline-first.
• iCall (TISS Mumbai): TISS-operated psychosocial helpline offering free telephone and email counselling across India. Directly comparable as a nonprofit mental health helpline serving similar Indian demographics with similar crisis-intervention and chronic-care support model.
• Tele-MANAS: Government of India's national tele-mental health service launched in 2022, offering free 24/7 mental health support across India. Directly comparable as a free, multilingual crisis helpline serving overlapping populations.
• Snehi: Indian nonprofit providing emotional support and suicide prevention helpline services via phone and email. Comparable as a nonprofit crisis-intervention mental health service in India serving distressed individuals across the country.

Broad incumbents

• Practo: India's largest digital health platform offering doctor consultations, including mental health practitioners, via app. Comparable as a digital health delivery channel in India with mental health as a service vertical, though broader than Vandrevala's specialization.
• BetterHelp: Largest global online therapy platform offering video, phone, and chat therapy with licensed therapists. Comparable as a teletherapy platform serving mass-market consumers globally, though U.S.-focused and for-profit.

Emerging players

• MindPeers: India-based mental wellness platform offering therapy, counseling, and self-help content via app. Comparable as a digital mental health service in India with paid therapy tiers, though younger and smaller scale than Vandrevala.
• Lissun (by Lissun.app / Heka Health): Indian mental health platform focused on outpatient therapy and corporate EAP partnerships. Comparable as an India-based mental health delivery platform targeting therapy demand, though more commercially oriented than Vandrevala's nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vandrevala-foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/CyrusandPriyaVandrevalaFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Vandrevala Foundation