Centre for Law and Policy Research

What Centre for Law and Policy Research does

The Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) is a not-for-profit legal research and advocacy trust headquartered in Bengaluru, India, founded in 2009 and operating with approximately 21 staff. Its mission is to make the Constitution of India operational for marginalized populations through three integrated streams: law and policy research, social and governance interventions, and strategic impact litigation. CLPR's work concentrates on discrimination along four intersecting axes — disability, sex, gender identity, and caste — with primary beneficiary segments including transgender persons, persons with disabilities, SC/ST communities, and women facing violence or honour-based discrimination.

CLPR's product portfolio spans operating digital platforms (ConstitutionofIndia.net as a one-stop constitutional reference; Supreme Court Observer as a living archive of Supreme Court proceedings), legal services (Trans Law Cell weekly drop-in sessions for transgender and sexual minority community members), educational and fellowship programs (ConQuest national quiz on the Constitution, Constitution Defenders Fellowship launched in 2024 with a 2.75-year term), publications (Trans Law Quarterly, Equality Now! resource book series on disability, transgender, women's and caste discrimination rights), and draft model legislation (notably the Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour Bill, 2022). Distribution is community-led through workshops, paralegal volunteer training, and a network of grassroots partner organizations including KVS, Thamate, Swatantra, APD, PACTA, Evidence, and DHRD Net, anchored academically through NLSIU and IIMB and supported internationally by partners such as Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit and the American Consulate General, Chennai.

The business model is that of a donation and grant-funded non-profit; CLPR relies on contributions from Indian citizens and accepts international support, and charges no fees for legal services such as the Trans Law Cell drop-in sessions. Go-to-market is community-led engagement rather than commercial sales. Revenue figures, specific donor mix, and grant sizes are not publicly disclosed. The headquarters is at D6, Dona Cynthia Apartments, 35, Primrose Road, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru 560025.

Name

Centre for Law and Policy Research

Legal name

Centre for Law and Policy Research Trust

Website

https://clpr.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) is a Bengaluru-based not-for-profit legal research and strategic impact litigation trust advancing constitutional rights for transgender persons, persons with disabilities, SC/ST communities, and women through research, litigation, model legislation, and community-based legal services and fellowships across India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Interest Legal Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Legal Services (5411), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Legal research services
• Constitutional rights advocacy
• Impact litigation
• Policy research
• Legal aid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bengaluru

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a not-for-profit trust dedicated to making the Constitution work for everyone through law and policy research, social and governance interventions and strategic impact litigation, CLPR relies on donations from Indian citizens and potentially international supporters to fund its operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) is a not-for-profit trust that delivers legal research, strategic impact litigation, and policy advocacy on constitutional rights in India. It provides direct legal services to marginalized communities (transgender persons, persons with disabilities, women, SC/ST communities) through initiatives such as the Trans Law Cell, Know Your Rights and Entitlements (KYRE) sessions, and the Constitution Defenders Fellowship. It also operates digital knowledge platforms (ConstitutionofIndia.net, Supreme Court Observer) and publishes the Trans Law Quarterly and Equality Now! resource book series.

Product overview

Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR) is a not-for-profit organization offering a portfolio of legal research, advocacy, and public education products rather than a unified software platform. Its core digital resources include Supreme Court Observer (a living archive of Supreme Court proceedings) and ConstitutionofIndia.net (a comprehensive constitutional reference tool). CLPR operates educational programs including ConQuest (national constitution quiz) and the Constitution Defenders Fellowship (a 2.75-year litigation fellowship). The organization provides direct legal services through the Trans Law Cell (weekly consultations for transgender and sexual minority communities) and publishes the Trans Law Quarterly and Equality Now! resource book series on disability, transgender, women's, and caste discrimination rights. Additionally, CLPR develops draft model legislation such as the Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour Bill, 2022. All offerings support CLPR's mission of advancing constitutional rights through research, litigation, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ConQuest: India's premiere national quiz on the Indian Constitution, History and Politics — CLPR's annual flagship event launched in 2016.
• TransForm
• Constitutionofindia.net
• Supreme Court Observer
• Trans Law Quarterly
• Constitution Defenders Fellowship
• Trans Law Cell
• KYRE (Know Your Rights and Entitlements)
• Equality Fellowship

Products and services

• Supreme Court Observer A living digital archive of the Supreme Court of India that documents and makes accessible Supreme Court proceedings and decisions, serving researchers, lawyers, students, and the public.
• ConstitutionofIndia.net A comprehensive one-stop digital resource for everything about the Constitution of India, 1950, designed as a reference tool for constitutional knowledge for researchers, students, educators, and the public.
• ConQuest India's premiere national quiz competition on the Indian Constitution, History and Politics, aimed at engaging students from law schools and universities with constitutional and political knowledge.
• Trans Law Cell Weekly drop-in legal consultation sessions (every Tuesday, 5-6 pm) at CLPR's Bengaluru office for members of the transgender and sexual minority community, providing free legal advice, query resolution, and litigation assistance.
• Constitution Defenders Fellowship A 2.75-year litigation fellowship for early career lawyers committed to advancing constitutional rights and social justice through strategic impact litigation at CLPR.
• Trans Law Quarterly Quarterly publication focused on transgender rights and the law, featuring legal analysis, community perspectives, and developments in the field.
• Equality Now! Series Series of four resource books on disability rights, transgender rights, women's rights, and caste discrimination, making rights-based jurisprudence accessible to communities, practitioners, researchers, and activists.
• Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour Bill, 2022 A model bill drafted by CLPR providing a legal framework to prevent, investigate, and adjudicate crimes in the name of 'honour' and protect individual liberty.

Quantifiable outcome

• Karnataka became first Indian state to provide 1% horizontal reservation for transgender persons in public employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die FreiheitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit for TransForm 2022 conference on transgender rights and the law in India.
• Evidence (Tamil Nadu)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLPR held consultation on Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Honour Crimes Bill in Madurai in collaboration with Evidence, an organization working to protect and promote Dalit and Adivasi rights.
• Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRD Net)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultation on Honour Crimes Bill in Jaipur held in collaboration with DHRD Net, PUCL Rajasthan, and Manuski.
• Karnataka Vikalchetanara Sanghantane (KVS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for KYRE sessions on transgender rights, disability rights, and violence against women across Karnataka.
• ThamatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple workshops on caste discrimination, manual scavenging rights, and disability rights conducted in collaboration with Thamate.
• SwatantracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Know Your Rights sessions for transgender persons and addressing violence within the transgender community.
• Association of People with Disability (APD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Know Your Rights & Entitlements sessions on legal rights of persons with disabilities.
• PACTAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on rights awareness session for persons with disabilities.
• National Law School of India University (NLSIU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple training workshops and conferences co-organized at NLSIU Bangalore including PLV training on disability rights, SC/ST Atrocities Act, and NLS PACT Conference.
• Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Ethics in AI Talk Series webinar on Information Regulation, Artificial Intelligence, and Governance.
• Ranga ShankaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Constitution and public outreach program 'RS Connect' featuring public talks on Indian Constitution.
• Bangalore International Centre (BIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLV training on legal rights of transgender persons and participation in BIC Hub'ba 2022 showcasing NGO work.
• OndedeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on panel discussion on Supreme Court's Jane Kaushik v. Union of India judgment on transgender rights.
• Aweksha - A Women's TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop on Know Your Rights under the Domestic Violence Act and launch of Kannada edition of Domestic Violence Handbook.
• Saifaikarmachari Kavalu Samithi-Karnataka (SKKS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of National Conclave on Implementation and Challenges of PEMSRA Act 2013.
• Sakhi TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized National Conclave on PEMSRA Act 2013.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lawyers Collective: Pioneering Indian legal NGO historically known for litigation and advocacy on HIV/AIDS, women's rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Comparable as a litigation-led NGO with intersectional rights coverage and a focus on translating legal rights into social outcomes.
• People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL): India's oldest and largest civil liberties organization, conducting civil liberties research, fact-finding, and litigation. CLPR partners with PUCL Rajasthan on consultations, indicating direct operational alignment in human rights advocacy and fact-finding methodologies.
• Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy: India-based independent legal policy research organization that, like CLPR, conducts law and policy research, drafts model legislation, and engages in strategic litigation to advance constitutional and social justice outcomes. Both work at the intersection of research, policy drafting, and impact litigation at the national level.
• Human Rights Law Network (HRLN): One of India's largest impact litigation networks, providing pro bono legal representation in human rights cases across the country. Comparable to CLPR in using strategic public interest litigation as its primary intervention, though operating at significantly greater national scale.
• CREA (Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action): India-based feminist human rights organization working on gender justice, sexuality, and discrimination — overlapping with CLPR's focus areas of transgender rights, violence against women, and intersectionality. Both produce knowledge resources and drive strategic advocacy on gender rights.
• Alternative Law Forum: Bengaluru-based legal research and advocacy organization with overlapping focus areas including transgender rights, disability rights, and gender justice. Both organizations share a Bengaluru base, community engagement model, and a commitment to social justice litigation and rights awareness.

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International India: Global human rights organization with India operations, working on a broad portfolio of rights including torture, death penalty, and discrimination. Comparable in mission to advance human rights through research, litigation, and advocacy, though operating at much larger scale and thematic breadth.

Emerging players

• Naz Foundation (India) Trust: One of the earliest Indian organizations to litigate on LGBTQ+ rights, with focus on HIV/AIDS and sexual minority communities. Comparable to CLPR's transgender rights work via the Trans Law Cell and Supreme Court engagement, though narrower in thematic scope.
• Humsafar Trust: Mumbai-based community organization serving LGBTQ+ populations with health, legal aid, and community support services. Overlaps with CLPR's Trans Law Cell in providing direct legal assistance to transgender and sexual minority persons, though operating at the community-service rather than impact-litigation tier.

Others

• National Law School of India University (NLSIU): Bengaluru-based premier law university and a core CLPR partner that co-hosts PLV trainings, conferences, and the Constitution Defenders Fellowship launch events. While primarily academic, NLSIU's clinical and research arms intersect with CLPR's constitutional law and public interest litigation mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLPRtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCU7ewehU1GPun-2ALBjg9YQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/centreforlawandpolicyresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-law-and-policy-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Centre for Law and Policy Research