What Madhi Foundation does

Madhi Foundation is a Chennai-headquartered nonprofit organization that develops technology-enabled programmes to improve foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning outcomes among children enrolled in India's government schools. Founded around 2015–2016 and legally registered as Madhi Foundation India Private Limited, the organization addresses what it terms India's foundational learning crisis — citing that nearly 85% of 115 million children lag behind in core skills by Class 3. Its portfolio comprises mobile applications (Palli Parvai for school assessment, Ennum Ezhuthum for foundational literacy and numeracy), WhatsApp-based delivery (FLOW), blended/offline models (Happy Learners), capacity-building programmes (SEED, LLDP), an early academic intervention pilot (TAP), and a parent-engagement programme (Veedum Vizhupum). The technology stack is deliberately low-complexity — custom mobile apps, WhatsApp distribution, and purpose-built tools optimized for low-resource government-school environments rather than sophisticated ML systems.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market anchored on direct partnerships with state education departments, primarily TNSCERT and Samagra Shiksha in Tamil Nadu, with newer presence in Nagaland. It pursues a dual approach: supply-side reform of government school systems (teacher training, curriculum support, assessments, monitoring) and demand-side engagement of parent communities as education partners. Reach metrics cited are 20 lakh students, 1 lakh teachers, 37,000 schools, and 45,000 education officers across India. Reported outcome data includes 55% improvement in Tamil oracy proficiency, 7X higher growth in foundational English versus control groups, and attribution for Tamil Nadu's 5-rank rise in the ASER 2024 literacy and numeracy survey.

Madhi's business model is grant-funded nonprofit: no commercial pricing applies, programmes are delivered free of cost to schools and families, and revenue (grant inflows) is not disclosed in the available data. Funding sources include foundations, corporate CSR partners, and individual donations, with an early-support cohort comprising CSF, Grundfos, Nalli Silks, and Panimalar Institutions. The organization is led by Co-founders Merlia Shaukath (CEO) and Vijayayalakshmi Mohan (COO), with a management team spanning State Reforms, Data Analytics, Programmes, Technology, People & Operations, and Fundraising functions, and a team size estimated at ~60+ members against a stated band of 101–250.

Name

Madhi Foundation

Legal name

Madhi Foundation India Private Limited

Website

https://madhifoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Madhi Foundation is a Chennai-based nonprofit building mobile applications and community programmes to improve foundational literacy and numeracy for government school students in India, reaching 20 lakh students, 1 lakh teachers, and 37,000 schools through state education partnerships and parent engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Reform Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• Foundational learning programs
• Education reform services
• Teacher capacity building
• Literacy improvement solutions
• Parent community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Alwarpet

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation/Grant Funding: Madhi Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization receiving funding from various supporters, donors, and partners including foundations, corporations, and government bodies. Revenue comes through grants, donations, and partnerships rather than product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Madhi Foundation develops and implements technology-enabled programs to improve foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning for children in government schools across India. It delivers curriculum-aligned teacher training, assessment tools, mobile applications, and parent engagement programs in partnership with state education departments. The organization operates as a nonprofit, offering its programs free of cost to government schools, teachers, students, and parent communities.

Product overview

Madhi Foundation operates as an education-focused NGO that has developed a portfolio of technology products and programmes aimed at transforming foundational learning outcomes in India. The organization offers mobile applications (Palli Parvai, Ennum Ezhuthum), community engagement programmes (Veedum Vizhupum), digital learning solutions (FLOW, Happy Learners), and capacity building initiatives (SEED, LLDP, TAP). These products work together through a dual approach: partnering with government school systems on the supply side and engaging parent communities on the demand side. The technology stack includes simple, context-specific tools from mobile apps to custom tools designed for impact rather than complexity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ennum Ezhuthum: A flagship program aimed at improving foundational literacy and numeracy among children in Tamil Nadu.
• Palli Parvai
• Veedum Vizhupum
• FLOW (Foundational Learning over WhatsApp)
• The Transformational Academic Programme (TAP)

Products and services

• The Transformational Academic Programme (TAP) Madhi's flagship pilot programme that started with 3 schools and expanded to 15 Greater Chennai Corporation Schools, focused on transforming academic outcomes in government schools.
• Literacy and Language Development Programme (LLDP) An initiative launched in partnership with TNSCERT and Samagra Shiksha that strengthened teacher practices and significantly improved student literacy outcomes through textbook design collaboration and teacher training.
• Foundational Learning over WhatsApp (FLOW) An urban-centric digital solution delivered via WhatsApp to reach students and minimize learning loss during the pandemic by providing foundational learning content.
• Happy Learners A blended learning model designed for children without smartphones, combining digital and offline approaches to deliver foundational learning content.
• State Executives and Educators Development (SEED) A programme designed to build teachers' digital skills for remote teaching and enhance officers' digital literacy skills during the pandemic period.
• Ennum Ezhuthum A literacy and language development application designed to improve Tamil literacy and foundational English skills among school children, gaining wide support and contributing to Tamil Nadu's rise in literacy rankings.
• Palli Parvai A mobile application developed to support foundational learning assessments and track student progress in government schools.
• Veedum Vizhupum (Parents as Allies Programme) A programme that empowers parent communities as partners and allies of the school system to strengthen involvement in children's learning and support foundational education outcomes.
• Teacher Handbooks and Workbooks Teaching and learning materials that 90% of teachers recognize as important and actively strive to use, supporting foundational learning in classrooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% improvement in Tamil oracy proficiency
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TNSCERT (Tamil Nadu State Council of Educational Research and Training)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for textbook design collaboration and launch of Literacy and Language Development Programme (LLDP) to strengthen teacher practices and improve student literacy outcomes.
• Samagra ShikshacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Government partnership for launching Literacy and Language Development Programme (LLDP) to strengthen teacher practices and improve student literacy outcomes.
• Global Schools ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Kavita Rajagopalan serves as Programme Director at Global Schools Forum, providing strategic guidance and network access.
• Central Square FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Shaveta Sharma Kukreja serves as MD of Central Square Foundation, providing strategic education reform expertise.
• Educate GirlscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Gayatri Nair Lobo serves as CEO of Educate Girls, enabling knowledge sharing and collaboration in girls' education space.
• The Family Business NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Jenaan Lilani serves as Head of Impact, providing impact measurement and social enterprise expertise.
• CavinKare Pvt LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Amudhavalli Ranganathan serves as Director, providing business and e-commerce expertise.
• Grundfos Pumps India Pvt. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Ranganath N.K serves as Former MD/CEO, contributing corporate leadership and operations expertise.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kaivalya Education Foundation: Works on leadership development and school transformation in India's government schools, with a focus on foundational learning and principal/teacher capacity building. Closely aligned with Madhi's supply-side government partnership approach.
• Central Square Foundation (CSF): A core funder of Madhi and a major philanthropic actor in India's foundational learning reform space. Funds and co-develops systemic education programs with state governments — overlapping mission, funder ecosystem, and government partnership approach.
• Bharti Foundation: Corporate foundation supporting Satya Bharti Schools and government school partnerships across rural India. Comparable scale, government engagement, and mission of improving learning outcomes for underprivileged children.
• Educate Girls: India-based nonprofit focused on enrolling and retaining out-of-school girls and improving learning outcomes. Advisory board overlap (Gayatri Nair Lobo) and similar government-school engagement model make it a comparable peer in scale and approach.
• Akanksha Foundation: Indian nonprofit operating schools and supplemental programs for underprivileged children, with strong presence in Mumbai and Pune. Comparable mission (foundational education for low-income communities) and similar nonprofit delivery model.
• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs focused on improving literacy and numeracy among underprivileged children. Operates at similar national scale (ASER survey origin) with government school partnerships, making it the most direct functional peer to Madhi's foundational learning work.
• ASER Centre: Produces India's Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), the benchmark that validated Madhi's Ennum Ezhuthum impact. Operates as a measurement and research backbone for the foundational learning ecosystem, with overlapping focus on literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Global education nonprofit operating across multiple countries including India, focused on literacy and gender equality in education. Comparable mission but operates at international scale with broader programmatic portfolio than Madhi.
• Teach For India: Places high-potential fellows in low-income schools across India, with significant focus on foundational learning. Comparable government-school engagement and outcome-oriented approach, though delivery is via fellows rather than system reform.

Emerging players

• Gyan Shala: Indian nonprofit operating community-run schools for underprivileged children, with a focus on foundational literacy and numeracy. Smaller scale than Madhi but addresses similar target population with similar delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MadhiFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@madhifoundation-communicat8575
• Facebookfacebook.com/madhifoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/madhi-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/madhifoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Madhi Foundation