Citizen Digital Foundation

What Citizen Digital Foundation does

Citizen Digital Foundation (CDF) is a non-profit civic technology organisation headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, founded in 2021 by Nidhi Sudhan and Vijesh Ram. It focuses on information literacy, responsible AI, online safety, and technology governance across India, with primary operational concentration in Kerala. Its product surface comprises the Litt online resource platform for digital literacy and child safety, the CDF AI Governance Assessment self-assessment tool built on seven global frameworks, the Youth Dialogue Forum (YDF) interdisciplinary dialogue series, the Good Tech Campaign (including Good Tech Guru for Kerala Police Cyberdome), the STEM Femme Fellowship, and a library of publications and toolkits released under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

CDF serves a diverse stakeholder base including Kerala state government officials (Cabinet Ministers, IAS officers, Police Cyberdome), higher education institutions (Digital University Kerala, MICA, Asian School of Business), K-12 schools (TRINS, Sree Chithira Thirunal), healthcare providers (KIMSHEALTH, eHealth Kerala), journalists, mental health professionals, and the general public. The organisation has documented 103 interventions, 8,000+ direct beneficiaries, and 70+ active partnerships as of 2026.

The revenue model is multi-stream: philanthropic donations (supported by 12A and 80G tax exemptions), institutional grants and partnerships (Samagata, RNP, NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, FactShala as a past supporter), and fee-based capacity-building workshops delivered to government departments, educational institutions, and corporations. Core go-to-market is community-led, anchored on the Youth Dialogue Forum event series, train-the-trainer ToT programmes, and thought-leadership content distribution via LinkedIn, YouTube, and CC-licensed publications. CDF has secured external validation from UNESCO (AI Readiness Assessment Methodology stakeholder consultation), Prix Ars Electronica (2026 honorary mention), Centre for Humane Technology, All Tech Is Human, and Women in AI Ethics.

Name

Citizen Digital Foundation

Legal name

Citizen Digital Foundation

Website

https://citizendigitalfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizen Digital Foundation is a Kerala-based non-profit civic technology organisation delivering information literacy, responsible AI governance, and online safety training to Indian government, education, healthcare, journalism, and youth audiences through workshops, the Litt platform, and the Youth Dialogue Forum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Literacy and Responsible Technology Education

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data & Information Literacy (Search, Evaluation, Misinformation) (EDAAAIAI), IT, Information Security & Digital Governance (EDADAKAJ), Digital Literacy & Media Literacy (Reading/Writing Online) (EDAMAJAN)

Keywords

• Information literacy training
• Responsible AI governance
• Online safety education
• Digital citizenship programs
• Media literacy resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram)

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Funding: CDF operates as a registered non-profit and relies on donations from individuals and organisations. It holds 12A tax exemption (AAJCC6683RE2022) and 80G tax exemption (AAJCC6683RF20221) for Indian donors. The organisation has past supporters including FactShala.
2. Institutional Grants and Partnerships: CDF receives support from institutional partners including Samagata, RNP, NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, and other organisations. Funding enables specific programmes such as the STEM Femme Fellowship and Youth Dialogue Forum.
3. Capacity-Building and Training Programmes: CDF generates revenue through delivering custom workshops and capacity-building sessions for government departments, educational institutions, and corporations on topics including AI ethics, digital media literacy, online safety, and tech governance. Sessions are delivered for fees to organisations such as Kerala Police, government training institutes, and private companies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Citizen Digital Foundation delivers information literacy, AI ethics, and responsible technology training through workshops, capacity-building programmes, and dialogue forums. It operates digital resource platforms (Litt, AI Governance Assessment) and produces open-access publications and toolkits aimed at governments, educational institutions, journalists, corporations, and the general public in India.

Product overview

Citizen Digital Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on information literacy and responsible innovation in India. The organization operates as a multi-program platform rather than a single unified product, offering several interconnected programs including Litt (an online safety education platform), the CDF AI Governance Assessment (a self-assessment tool for organizational AI readiness), the Good Tech Campaign (child safety initiatives), the Youth Dialogue Forum (interdisciplinary youth discourse), and the STEM Femme Fellowship (digital skills program). These programs are complemented by educational sessions/workshops and a library of publications and toolkits. The offerings collectively address the organization's mission of making technology safer, responsible, and equitable through awareness creation, governance scaffolding, and capacity building across various stakeholder groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Dialogue Forum (YDF): CDF's platform for youth-centred discourse, bringing together voices from different fields and disciplines to work towards constructive and collaborative problem-solving.
• Litt
• Good Tech Campaign
• STEM Femme Fellowship

Products and services

• Litt An online safety education platform providing resources and materials for parents, educators, and children on topics including online safety, digital wellbeing, and responsible technology use.
• CDF AI Governance Assessment A self-assessment tool that helps organisations evaluate AI governance readiness from planning to deployment, based on 7 global AI governance frameworks and resources.
• Sessions and Workshops Training sessions and workshops on digital literacy, AI ethics, online safety, responsible technology use, and media information literacy delivered to government officials, students, educators, journalists, healthcare professionals, and corporate employees.
• Publications and Toolkits Reports, papers, and resource toolkits on AI governance, data privacy, post-truth communications, social media safety, and responsible technology use, available under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
• Youth Dialogue Forum (YDF) An interdisciplinary youth dialogue forum bringing together students, professionals, and experts to discuss responsible innovation, AI ethics, digital citizenship, and technology governance through policy simulations, foresight workshops, and thinkathons.
• STEM Femme Fellowship A fellowship programme for women from diverse backgrounds focused on digital skilling, responsible technology, and AI ethics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 103 interventions delivered; 8,000+ people reached; 70+ partnerships established
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Mozilla FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partners with Mozilla Foundation as part of the Mozilla Responsible Computing Challenge, delivering AI ethics sessions for post-graduate students at Digital University Kerala and Marian College Kuttikkanam. This collaboration integrates CDF's information literacy curriculum with Mozilla's responsible computing agenda.
• Nayaneethi Policy CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF collaborated with Nayaneethi Policy Collective for the YDF KRIA edition (January 2026), an official pre-summit event of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The partnership combined policy expertise with CDF's youth engagement model.
• TinkerHub FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with TinkerHub Foundation for YDF KRIA (January 2026) at TinkerSpace, Kochi. TinkerHub provided the venue and maker ecosystem network for the event, combining hardware/innovation community with CDF's responsible tech focus.
• Digital Futures LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF collaborated with Digital Futures Lab on YDF KRIA, contributing expertise in gender biases in LLMs and responsible AI to the youth dialogue and thinkathon format.
• KIMSHEALTH TrivandrumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum for the Good Tech Campaign, establishing a Good Tech Zone in the Paediatric waiting area where children engage with age-appropriate digital literacy activities. CDF also delivers 'Being Screen Smart' sessions for hospital doctors.
• CiviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with Civis for YDF My Data My Rules (January 2025), using Civis's WhatsApp chatbot to collect 69 registered responses and 120 participation attempts for public consultation on the DPDPA 2023. Civis submitted final responses to MeitY.
• PactacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with Pacta for YDF My Data My Rules public consultation on DPDPA 2023, bringing legal and policy expertise to the youth dialogue on data protection.
• The Reading RoomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Reading Room served as the venue and co-organiser for multiple YDF editions (YDF My Data My Rules 2025, Tatvika Avalokanam dialogue 2024), providing a community space for CDF's youth engagement activities in Trivandrum.
• Kerala Police CyberdomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partners with Kerala Police Cyberdome on the Good Tech Guru programme, delivering online child safety capacity-building for Cyberdome officers and Cyber Crime Prevention Centre Counsellors at the Kerala Police Academy and Police Training College.
• Digital University KeralacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF has an ongoing partnership with Digital University Kerala for sessions on responsible tech, AI ethics (as part of Mozilla Responsible Computing Challenge), and tech governance for postgraduate students and incoming cohorts.
• Goethe-Institut / Goethe-Zentrum TrivandrumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with Goethe-Zentrum Trivandrum to present the first edition of the Youth Dialogue Forum (January 2022), combining language and cultural exchange with responsible tech dialogue.
• Kerala Startup MissioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCDF has partnered with Kerala Startup Mission for multiple sessions including IEDC Ambassador programmes, workshops on responsible innovation, and AI ethics sessions for entrepreneurs and startup ecosystem participants.
• eHealth Kerala, State Digital Health MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with eHealth Kerala for a session on Data Governance in Public Digital Health Systems, supporting the state government's digital health mission with governance expertise.
• Internet Freedom FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF collaborates with Internet Freedom Foundation on digital rights and policy advocacy, sharing expertise in privacy, surveillance, and tech governance in India.
• MICA (Ahmedabad)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with MICA for sessions on Tech and AI Governance for MBA students, and Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women in the Tech World at LBS Institute of Technology for Women.
• Asian School of BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF delivered a session on Tech Governance for MBA students at Asian School of Business, Kerala, focusing on responsible digital business practices.
• Tatvika AvalokanamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF hosted a Youth Dialogue Forum event with Tatvika Avalokanam debating group on fake news responsibility, and later moderated the YDF GPT: Friend or Tool? session (2025).
• Kappiness Mental Health CafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF hosted YDF GPT: Friend or Tool? (August 2025) at Kappiness Mental Health Cafe in Trivandrum, combining mental health expertise with AI ethics dialogue.
• Young Indians (Yi)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with Young Indians Trivandrum for sessions on responsible innovation and tech ethics for young entrepreneurs.
• Trivandrum International School (TRINS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF has an ongoing partnership with TRINS for multiple programmes: Good Tech Squad, Cybersafety Workshop, Screen-Age Parenting for parents, and Defeating Digital Distractions sessions across multiple grade levels.
• Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) Odisha State BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF delivered a session on Extractive Technologies: The Race to the Bottom of the Brainstem for IPS Odisha at their annual conference, addressing mental health professionals on technology's psychological impacts.
• UNESCOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF participated in UNESCO's 3rd Stakeholder Consultation for the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India, organised by UNESCO and supported by MeitY. This is a flagship engagement in global AI governance policy.
• Government of Kerala (multiple departments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF works with multiple Kerala government departments: Institute of Management in Government (IMG), Information & Public Relations Department (IPRD), Directorate of Collegiate Education, Local Self Government Department, and the Cabinet Office for training Cabinet Ministers. These are among CDF's most significant government partnerships.
• WIIT Technopark (Women in IT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partners with WIIT Technopark for sessions on Responsible AI and Equitable Tech, and AI Developments and Equity in Tech Leadership for women in technology.
• LBS Institute of Technology for Women (LBSITW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF delivered AI ethics sessions at LBSITW including 'Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women in the Tech World' and 'AI: Promise and Perils & the Philosophy of AI Ethics' for students.
• The Fourth News KeralaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with The Fourth News Kerala for sessions on Communications in the Post-truth Age for trainee journalists, and Director Sreejan Balakrishnan provided a testimonial on CDF's impact.
• Mathrubhumi Media School (MBMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF partnered with Mathrubhumi Media School for a session on Post-Truth Communications for journalism students, and participated in the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters 2026.
• Jose George Badminton AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF delivered the 'How to Defeat Your Attention Stealers' workshop for elite badminton trainees, demonstrating CDF's reach into non-traditional audiences.
• Sustera FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDF participated in a roundtable on Tech for Coastal Resilience in collaboration with the Sustera Foundation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Point of View: India-based non-profit advancing gender justice through digital rights and inclusion. Emerging player peer: overlaps with CDF's work on women's digital participation (STEM Femme Fellowship) and digital rights advocacy.
• Aapti Institute: India-based think tank working at the intersection of internet governance, digital rights, and emerging technology policy. Emerging player peer: shares CDF's India-focused policy research orientation and similar funder ecosystem.
• The Bachchao Project: India-based non-profit focused on technology-related gender-based violence and digital safety. Emerging player peer: comparable to CDF's online safety and child safety programmes (Good Tech Campaign, Good Tech Guru), with similar target audiences in India.

Direct peers

• Digital Futures Lab: India-based research and policy organisation examining the societal implications of AI and emerging technologies. Direct peer: partnered with CDF on the YDF KRIA edition contributing expertise on gender biases in LLMs and responsible AI.
• Internet Freedom Foundation: India-based digital rights organisation advocating for privacy, free expression, and responsible tech policy. Direct peer: collaborates with CDF on digital rights and policy advocacy, including joint inputs on India's DPDPA and tech governance.
• All Tech Is Human: Non-profit building the responsible tech ecosystem through cross-stakeholder collaboration. Direct peer: CDF is featured on its Responsible Tech Organisation list and works on adjacent themes of AI ethics, governance, and civic engagement.
• Tactical Tech: International non-profit that investigates how technology shapes society and equips individuals to engage with it critically. Direct peer in the digital literacy and information literacy space, with overlapping training and resource-toolkit methodology.
• Centre for Humane Technology: US-based non-profit focused on aligning technology with human well-being. Direct peer in the responsible-tech and digital well-being space; CDF is listed as a partner organisation on CHT's site and shares an overlapping mission around technology harms, attention, and AI.

Broad incumbents

• Access Now: Global non-profit defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk. Broad incumbent peer: comparable mission in defending digital rights, policy advocacy, and capacity-building, with a much larger international footprint and policy influence.
• Mozilla Foundation: Global non-profit funding responsible computing, internet health, and AI ethics programmes. Broad incumbent: partners with CDF through the Mozilla Responsible Computing Challenge at Digital University Kerala, providing institutional validation and scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@citizendigitalfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/Citizendigitalfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citizendigital
• Instagraminstagram.com/citizen_digital

Compliance2 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 Citizen Digital Foundation