What Center For Rural Education Development does

Center For Rural Education Development (CRED) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1987 and headquartered at T. Vadipatti, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, India. The organization delivers a multi-vertical rural development portfolio including women empowerment (SHGs, entrepreneurship training, leadership development), child welfare (non-formal education, child labor eradication via the CIRCLE and CBC programs), sustainable agriculture (organic farming, NABARD-UPNRM Sirumalai project, horticulture, Farmer Clubs), financial inclusion (SBI-KIOSK Customer Service Points in five villages, NABARD-supported Financial Literacy Programme), health awareness (RCH program, REACH community healthcare), environmental conservation (tree plantation, NEAC campaign), family counseling (FCC established 2000), and vocational training through the CRED ITI institute (tailoring, embroidery, computer fundamentals, TTC). All programs are delivered free of cost to beneficiaries.

CRED employs 11 staff and operates across blocks in Madurai District (Vadipatti, Alanganallur, Melur) and extended sites in Nagapattinam District, with documented reach of 5,000+ SHG/JLG members, 6,000+ healthcare beneficiaries across 56 villages, 800+ financially included individuals, 150+ small-scale farmers annually, 367 recovered child labor cases, and 1,50,000 saplings planted. The organization's underlying delivery model is community-based, relying on SHG and JLG networks, farmer clubs, and village-level institutions rather than a proprietary software or technology platform. The described "core technology" is an organizational construct — SHG/JLG coordination, vocational training centers, health camps, and counseling centers — rather than software IP.

CRED operates as a women-headed non-profit funded primarily through grants from NABARD programs, Indian government schemes (Department of Agriculture, Horticulture, Labour), and international/partnership NGOs (WINROCK Nepal, Bridge Foundation, CRY, Population Fund India, HOPE Pondicherry, SBI, TNVHA, FPAI Madurai, Coffee Board Dindigul, KVK Gandhigram, PEACE Trust). Pricing to beneficiaries is free across all programs; pricing is consequently not a commercial mechanism. The go-to-market is community-led outreach through existing SHG/JLG/farmer networks, supplemented by local events, government collaboration ceremonies, a website (credindia.org.in), and a Facebook page (cred.ngo). Annual reports are published for 2022-2025, and the organization has accumulated multiple awards including three consecutive District-level Best NGO recognitions from the Madurai Collector (2011-2014).

Name

Center For Rural Education Development

Legal name

Centre for Rural Education and Development (CRED)

Website

https://credindia.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CRED is a non-profit NGO founded in 1987 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, delivering free rural development programs — women empowerment, child welfare, sustainable agriculture, financial inclusion, health awareness, and vocational training — to underprivileged communities through SHG and village-level networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Rural development programs
• Women empowerment programs
• Community development services
• Sustainable agriculture training
• Financial inclusion services

Headquarters

HQ city

T. Vadipatti

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: CRED operates as a non-profit NGO primarily funded through government schemes, NABARD programs, and international development agency grants. Programs cover women empowerment, child development, agriculture, health awareness, and rural development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Center For Rural Education Development (CRED) is a Tamil Nadu-based NGO that delivers integrated rural development programs to marginalized communities. Its core offerings include formation and nurturing of Self-Help Groups for women, vocational skills training, child development and education support, sustainable agriculture extension, health awareness campaigns, and environmental conservation initiatives across rural Tamil Nadu.

Product overview

Center For Rural Education Development (CRED) is an NGO operating a multi-program portfolio focused on rural empowerment across Tamil Nadu, India. The organization offers community development programs spanning women's empowerment, child welfare, financial inclusion, sustainable agriculture, healthcare, environmental conservation, and vocational training through its CRED ITI institute. Programs include Women Development with SHG formation, Children Development with non-formal education centers, Financial Inclusion with SBI-KIOSK banking points, Sustainable Agriculture with NABARD-UPNRM projects, Health Awareness with RCH and REACH programs, and vocational training including tailoring, computer fundamentals, and embroidery courses. The organization also operates a Family Counseling Centre and various capacity-building initiatives for rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Help Group (SHG) Formation and Credit Linkage Program Organizes rural women into savings-led Self-Help Groups, builds financial literacy and discipline, and links groups to bank credit for microenterprise activity. Targeted at economically disadvantaged rural women in Tamil Nadu villages.
• Vocational Skills Training Program Provides skills training in trades such as tailoring, handicrafts, food processing, and other livelihoods to rural youth and women for income generation. Operates through vocational training centers serving rural Tamil Nadu.
• Women Empowerment Program Holistic empowerment initiative for rural women covering leadership development, rights awareness, SHG participation, and access to government welfare schemes. Targeted at women in rural Tamil Nadu communities.
• Child Development and Education Program Supports rural children's education, nutrition, and overall development through supplementary classes, awareness for parents, and child rights advocacy. Targeted at school-age children in CRED's operational rural areas.
• Sustainable Agriculture Extension Program Delivers training and field support on sustainable agriculture practices, organic methods, and resource-efficient farming to small and marginal farmers. Targeted at farming households in rural Tamil Nadu.
• Health Awareness and Outreach Program Conducts community health awareness drives, health camps, and education on hygiene, maternal and child health, and disease prevention. Targeted at rural families and women across CRED's operational villages.
• Environmental Conservation Program Implements tree planting, watershed management, and community-led environmental awareness initiatives to support sustainable rural ecosystems. Targeted at rural communities and panchayat-level stakeholders in Tamil Nadu.

Quantifiable outcome

• 367 child labor cases recovered and children facilitated with school access
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HOPE, PondicherryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2016Partnership for organizing free Cell phone Service Training course for women and Life Skill Education Training Programme for teachers. Joint initiatives for vocational training and education enhancement.
• Bridge FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006REACH (Responsible, Empowering, Accessible, Community Health Care) program implemented 2006-2007 with 10 health workers, benefiting 6000 people across 56 villages in 60 blocks. Innovative community financing healthcare model.
• WINROCK NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIRCLE (Community based innovation to reduce child labor through education) program implemented in collaboration with WINROCK Nepal since 2003. Focus on eradicating child labor practices and facilitating education methods among dropouts and at-risk youth.
• PEACE TRUST, DindigulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAC (National Environmental Awareness Campaign) program conducted each year under partnership focusing on environmental issues and uplifting lives of downtrodden population.
• Population Fund India, New DelhicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReproductive and Child Health (RCH) Program implemented since 2003 targeting adolescent girls, young women and youth groups in T.Vadippatti block. Focus on personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene, HIV/AIDS awareness, nutrition, and substance abuse.
• TNVHA (Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTB Awareness program conducted for rural community focusing on awareness about TB disease and preventive/care measures training.
• FPAI MaduraiminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPNDT Act 1994 Awareness program conducted with FPAI Madurai to create awareness among rural population about gender equality and prevention of sex-selective practices.
• CRY (Child Rights and You)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBC (Campaign for Balanced Childhood) program for finding school dropouts, reducing dropout percentage, and educating vulnerable women on human rights and legal aid.
• Department of Agriculture, Tamil NaducoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) programme implementation for farmers. Farm groups formed, training on greenhouse cultivation, and exposure visits organized in collaboration with the department.
• Coffee Board, DindigulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration during CAT programs for availability of improved planting material and suitable varieties of chow-chow. Additional guidance on coffee and pepper cultivation.
• Horticulture Department, Tamil NaducoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorticulture programme conducted in Vadippatti, Alanganallur and Melur blocks. Support and motivation for rural farmers for vegetable cultivation with technical expertise and formation of vegetable producer groups.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CRY (Child Rights and You): Indian NGO focused on child rights, education, and child labor eradication, with which CRED has an active core partnership. Directly comparable through shared mission on child labor recovery, non-formal education, and at-risk child welfare programs in India.
• MYRADA: Indian NGO working on rural development through self-help groups, microfinance, and community-managed programs across multiple South Indian states. Comparable institutional model (SHG-centric, women-focused) with overlapping Tamil Nadu/Karnataka presence.
• SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association): Large Indian trade union and NGO for informal women workers focusing on financial inclusion, social security, and skill development. Comparable in its women-empowerment and financial inclusion focus, though operating at much larger national scale.
• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): National Indian NGO promoting livelihoods for rural poor through SHGs, farm-based interventions, and women's empowerment across multiple states. Directly comparable to CRED in mission (rural poverty, women empowerment, agriculture) and program structure, but operating at significantly larger geographic and financial scale.
• Seva Mandir: Indian rural development NGO working with tribal and marginalized communities on education, health, and livelihoods. Comparable in integrated community development model and grassroots SHG-style mobilization, though focused on Rajasthan rather than Tamil Nadu.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: Large Indian development organization focused on sustainable agriculture, livestock development, natural resource management, and women's empowerment in rural communities. Comparable in core focus areas (rural livelihoods, women, sustainable agriculture) with comparable SHG-based delivery model.
• DHAN Foundation: India-based development NGO focused on rainfed farming, microfinance, and community development, headquartered in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Direct geographic and programmatic peer to CRED, operating in the same region with overlapping themes of small farmer support, women's empowerment, and financial inclusion.
• Grameen Foundation India: International development organization with India operations focused on financial inclusion, digital financial services for the poor, and SHG/collective empowerment. Comparable in financial inclusion and rural women's economic empowerment focus, with overlapping themes of NABARD-linked programs.

Regional players

• TNVHA (Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association): Tamil Nadu–based health-focused NGO with which CRED has a documented partnership for TB awareness. Comparable as a Tamil Nadu–regional health and community development NGO with similar rural community engagement model.
• WOTR (Watershed Organization Trust): Indian NGO specializing in watershed development, climate-resilient agriculture, and rural livelihoods. Comparable in agriculture and environment focus areas, with stronger climate-adaptation programmatic emphasis than CRED.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cred.ngo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-rural-education-development

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 Center For Rural Education Development