What Akshara Centre does

Akshara Centre is a Mumbai-based, not-for-profit women's rights organisation operating as a project of FREA-India Trust, with roots going back to the 1970s and formal incorporation under its current brand in the 1990s. Its mission is to challenge and transform the culture and practice of gender inequality and injustice, delivered through four core programs: Empowering Dreams (a three-year program for first-generation college entrants from marginalised communities, comprising Saksham, Swayamsiddha, and Swadhin sub-programs); Safe Inclusive City (urban safety initiatives spanning buses, trains, and city streets); Youth for Change (gender-equality workshops and Gender Equality Clubs in 38 colleges across Mumbai, Nashik, and Pune); and the Akshara Fellowship (a 6-month leadership program for marginalised youth). Operational reach includes approximately 2,500 students annually, 6,109 Safety Walks, gender-sensitisation training for ~13,000 BEST personnel, and a Mumbai emergency helpline (103) handling roughly 300 calls per day.

The organisation's go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial: it partners with government bodies (BMC, BEST, MSRTC, Mumbai Police, Railway Protection Force, Thane Police, Maharashtra Ministry of Women & Child Development) and civil society organisations (UNICEF, MAVIM, FICCI FLO, Safetipin, Ariel India, EKSAATH), and runs high-reach public awareness campaigns such as Jagah Dikaho (9.5 million views) and #SeeEqual (25 million views, 1.5 million pledges). Revenue is derived entirely from donations, with 80G tax exemption status for Indian donors, plus grants from institutional partners; no product pricing or commercial revenue streams exist. The team comprises approximately 46 staff led by a Board of Directors and supported by program-specific leads, consultants, volunteers, and ambassadors.

Name

Akshara Centre

Legal name

Akshara Centre

Website

https://aksharacentre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akshara Centre is a Mumbai-based not-for-profit women's rights organisation operating four programs — Empowering Dreams, Safe Inclusive City, Youth for Change, and the Akshara Fellowship — to advance gender equality across Maharashtra through youth education, urban safety advocacy, and government partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

Keywords

• Gender equality programs
• Women's empowerment initiatives
• Community advocacy services
• Youth gender sensitisation
• Urban safety campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations from supporters who invest in gender-just futures. Donors can choose to support youth as gender advocates or sponsor underprivileged girls education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Akshara Centre is a not-for-profit women's organisation that delivers community-based gender equality and women's empowerment programs. Its core offerings include Empowering Dreams (a three-year education and life-skills program for first-generation college entrants), Safe Inclusive City (urban women's safety advocacy in public transport), Youth For Change (interactive gender sensitisation workshops and Gender Equality Clubs across colleges), and the Akshara Fellowship (a community changemaker program). The organisation supplements these programs with public awareness campaigns and resource materials.

Product overview

Akshara Centre is a not-for-profit women's organization offering a portfolio of social empowerment programs rather than technology products. Its core offerings include: Empowering Dreams (a three-year program with Saksham, Swayamsiddha, and Swadhin components for young women's education and empowerment), Safe Inclusive City (urban safety initiatives), Youth for Change (gender equality workshops), and the Akshara Fellowship (community leadership development). The organization also runs public campaigns on gender issues and produces educational resources including books, manuals, and videos.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empowering Dreams: A program supporting first-generation college entrants between 17-20 years with financial support, life skills training, and gender awareness workshops. Includes Saksham, Swayamsiddha, and Swadhin components.
• Safe Inclusive City
• Youth for Change
• Akshara Fellowship

Products and services

• Empowering Dreams A three-year program for first-generation college entrants aged 17-20 from marginalised backgrounds, providing financial support, life-skills training, and gender awareness workshops across three sub-programs: Saksham, Swayamsiddha, and Swadhin.
• Safe Inclusive City A program addressing women's safety in urban public spaces including buses, trains, and city streets through surveys, safety walks, audits, gender sensitisation training, and advocacy with government bodies for safer infrastructure.
• Youth For Change A program engaging young men and women to challenge gender stereotypes through interactive workshops, Gender Equality Clubs in colleges, peer discussions, and public actions for social transformation.
• Akshara Fellowship A 6-month immersive fellowship program for young people from marginalised backgrounds, providing leadership workshops, mentorship, and hands-on experience to become catalysts for gender equality in their communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% women surveyed had faced sexual harassment within a year in Mumbai
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Thane PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to allocate dedicated helpline 2554 3535 for reporting sexual harassment. Launched Leher Campaign in 2007 with Special Cell for Women and Children and India Centre for Human Rights and Law to mobilise youth from local colleges.
• Mumbai PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished Mumbai emergency helpline 103 in 2008 following horrific incident of molestation. Akshara prepared Standard Operational Procedure and conducted trainings for women police call-takers.
• India Centre for Human Rights and LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Leher Campaign with Thane Police and Special Cell for Women and Children to create emergency helpline infrastructure.
• BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGender sensitisation workshops for bus conductors and drivers (22,000 personnel). Modified Rule Book to facilitate harassment intervention. Twarita Mohim Campaign put up posters in 26 bus depots.
• MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Jagah Dikaho campaign for inter-city buses. Campaign reached 10.5 million viewers across 15 bus stops in 6 cities in Maharashtra.
• BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to add chapter on Gender into Development Plan and allocate land for Multi-Purpose Houses. Jointly developed Framework for Inclusion of Gender Amenities in Development Plans.
• TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with BMC and TISS to develop Framework for Inclusion of Gender Amenities in Development Plans, available in English and Marathi.
• Railway Protection ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGender sensitisation trainings with 398-558 RPF personnel from various cadres. Distribution of booklets on prevention of sexual harassment. Campaign Aap Ne Kya Kiya for bystander intervention.
• UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Government of Maharashtra's Ministry of Women & Child Development on #JustAChild campaign to address increase in child marriages during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Government of Maharashtra - Ministry of Women & Child DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint campaign #JustAChild to address child marriages, encouraging public to report cases by dialling 1098.
• MAVIMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for conducting Safety Walks and community engagement programs.
• FICCI FLOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Safety Walks and women's safety initiatives.
• SafetipinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for conducting Safety Walks and auditing urban safety for women.
• Ariel IndiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on #SeeEqual initiative with Ariel India, creating video series on gender equality in household work. Online campaign had 25 million views, 1.5 million men pledged to share housework.
• Architect AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to conduct comprehensive survey of 14 BMC subways for women's safety audit.
• 38 Colleges across Mumbai, Nashik and PunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of colleges hosting Gender Equality Clubs, student workshops, and youth leadership programs. 76 Group Leaders and 42 Alumni Leaders emerge annually.
• 1298 Ambulance ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to produce Women's Resource Directory launched by cricketer Sachin Tendulkar with details of 75 NGOs and government agencies.
• EKSAATHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganised Gaana Rewrite campaign, a national competition for young people to rewrite songs objectifying women.
• Girls CountminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Gaana Rewrite campaign for gender equality in music.
• One Billion RisingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Gaana Rewrite campaign challenging gender stereotypes in popular culture.
• UACTIVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth start-up collaboration for Night Run event with over 2000 Mumbaikars participating.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action): Mumbai-headquartered nonprofit operating women's safety, helpline, and public health programs — closest geographic peer with overlapping focus on women's safety, helplines, and partnership with Mumbai's public systems.

Broad incumbents

• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): Large-scale women's empowerment organization focused on livelihoods and economic agency among marginalized women in India — comparable mission of building agency and economic independence in first-generation learners, much like Akshara's Swayamsiddha track.
• Plan India (Plan International): Large international NGO with programs on girls' rights, gender-equality education, and prevention of child marriage in India — relevant peer to Akshara's #JustAChild campaign and youth-led Safe Inclusive City work.
• ActionAid India: Pan-India anti-poverty organization with significant women's rights and gender equality programming; comparable at the level of grassroots mobilization, government advocacy, and multi-state campaign reach.

Emerging players

• Azad Foundation: India-based gender-equality NGO focused on economic empowerment, mobility, and leadership for women from marginalized communities — comparable to Akshara's Empowerment Dreams economic-agency mission.

Direct peers

• CREA (Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action): India-focused gender equality organization producing research, advocacy, and community programs on women's rights, sexuality, and bodily autonomy — a close peer to Akshara's Empowering Dreams and Youth for Change programming.
• Jagori: Delhi-based women's rights NGO that works on gender equality, sexual harassment, and women's safety through campaigns, community mobilization, and policy advocacy — directly comparable to Akshara's rights-based, three-dimensional change approach.
• Breakthrough India: Operates large-scale public campaigns (Bell Bajao, #YesMeansYes) challenging gender norms and violence against women using media, celebrity engagement, and youth activation — directly comparable to Akshara's Gaana Rewrite, Disclaimer, and Jagah Dikaho campaigns.
• Nirantar Trust: India-based gender and education NGO focused on gender equality, women's empowerment, and community action with marginalized women — directly comparable in target beneficiary and methodology.

Others

• Safetipin: Urban safety data platform partnering with Akshara on Safety Walks and audits; a direct ecosystem partner in women's safety programming rather than a competing NGO, but adjacent because both organizations deploy Safety Audit methodology to benchmark cities on women-friendliness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheAksharavideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/AksharaCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akshara-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/aksharacentreindia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Akshara Centre