AFS Intercultural Programs India

What AFS Intercultural Programs India does

AFS Intercultural Programs India is a Section 25 non-profit organization headquartered in New Delhi, established in 2005 as the Indian affiliate of AFS Intercultural Programs (a global non-profit foundation founded in 1947). The organization operates intercultural student exchange programs, sending Indian students abroad and hosting international students in India, and runs ancillary products including school membership, a Global Competence Certificate (GCC) co-developed with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Social Impact Strategy and recognized by Purdue University, the AFSNext 18+ program line, Virtual Exchanges, and the global AFS Youth Assembly (launched in Geneva in 2026). Its operational footprint covers 25+ Indian cities, 200+ member schools, and a network of 800+ volunteers, and it has historically moved approximately 2,000 students outbound and 2,000 inbound.

The business model blends multiple revenue streams: annual school membership fees at approximately INR 25,000 per institution, individual program fees for outbound and inbound participants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and program-management fees associated with bilateral government scholarship programs. The two most strategically significant of these are the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program funded by the US Department of State (since 2002) and the Asia Kakehashi program funded by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (since 2017), with additional partnerships including JENESYS and MIRAI-Setu. The organization also holds UNESCO consultative partnership status (since 2015) and is supported by an alumni network of more than 360,000 lifetime AFS participants globally. The headcount is 22 employees, consistent with a non-profit operating model that leans heavily on volunteer labor and institutional partnerships rather than large internal staff.

The underlying technology footprint is modest: a digital layer supporting Virtual Exchanges, an assessment infrastructure built around SurveyMonkey, and program-management capabilities tied to the GCC curriculum. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML systems or advanced automation; differentiation is grounded in the global AFS brand, the institutional relationships with governments and universities, the school's distribution network, and the volunteer and alumni ecosystems rather than in technology.

Name

AFS Intercultural Programs India

Legal name

AFS Intercultural Programs India

Website

https://india.afs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AFS Intercultural Programs India is a New Delhi-based non-profit that runs student exchange programs, sending Indians abroad and hosting international students across 25+ cities via 200+ member schools and government scholarship partnerships with the US and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intercultural Exchange Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Exchange & Visiting Student Programs (EDAIABAG), Online-to-Offline Hybrid Language Immersion Programs (EDAIAEAK), Cultural Adjustment & Intercultural Training Programs (EDAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Intercultural exchange programs
• Study abroad programs
• Student exchange services
• Global competence education
• Cultural exchange volunteering

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fees charged to participants for study abroad programs covering education, boarding, lodging and other expenses. Available at a highly subsidized rate. Includes both sending (outbound from India) and hosting (inbound to India) participants.
2. School Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to schools for affiliation with AFS India. Standard rate: INR 25,000 including GST per annum. Discounted rate of Rs. 5,000 including GST for schools with gross annual fees less than INR 50,000.
3. University/Institution Membership: Educational institution membership fees for universities and colleges to participate in AFS programs for hosting international students, internships, and faculty exchanges.
4. Scholarships and Sponsorships: AFS India works with corporate and community sponsors to finance programs through full and partial scholarships. Government programs like YES (U.S. Department of State) and Asia Kakehashi (Japanese Government MEXT) provide funded exchanges.
5. 18+ Programs: Programs for adults 18+ including academic programs, community service, corporate internships, language learning, teaching exchanges, gap year opportunities, and custom-made programs with varying fee structures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AFS Intercultural Programs India delivers intercultural student exchange and global learning experiences, sending Indian high school students to 50+ destination countries and hosting international students with Indian families. The organization operates study abroad programs, host family placements, volunteer engagement, AFSNext (18+) programs (internships, language learning, gap year), virtual exchanges, and the Global Competence Certificate, supported by school and university membership programs across India.

Product overview

AFS Intercultural Programs India is a non-profit educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of intercultural learning programs. The core offerings include Study Abroad Programs for high school students (typically 15-18 years old) to over 50 destination countries, Host Family Programs for families to welcome international students, and Volunteer Programs. The organization provides specialized tracks including 18+ Programs (AFSNext) for adults seeking internships, language learning, gap year, and study abroad opportunities. Digital offerings include AFS Virtual Exchanges (Global You Adventurer and Global You Changemaker) developed in partnership with University of Pennsylvania, and the Global Competence Certificate (GCC) program. Scholarship programs include the U.S. Department of State's YES Program and Japan's Asia Kakehashi Project+. The AFS Youth Assembly provides an annual global platform for young leaders. Supporting infrastructure includes the AFS Global Competence Readiness Index for Schools assessment tool, University Membership Program for higher education institutions, and Member Schools Program for K-12 schools across India. Research initiatives complement the program portfolio through studies on exchange program impact conducted with leading academic institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YES Program: Scholarship program for high school students to study abroad in the United States of America, funded by the U.S. Department of State's Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program.
• Asia Kakehashi Project+ in Japan
• Global Up with GCC
• AFS Global You
• AFSNext

Products and services

• Study Abroad Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• AFS participants showed significant advantages in language fluency and cultural competence that lasted far beyond the duration of the experience abroad (Long Term Impact Study 2006)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017AFS Japan appointed by MEXT to run the Asia Kakehashi Project, a government-sponsored scholarship program for Asian high school students to study in Japan. AFS India recruits and selects scholarship recipients from India.
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015AFS entered into a 'consultative status' partnership with UNESCO as of 2015. This status enables both organizations to collaborate on initiatives of mutual interest and social good in the fields of education, youth, and intercultural dialogue.
• U.S. Department of State - Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002AFS serves as an implementing organization for the Kennedy-Lugar YES program, a U.S. government scholarship program established by Congress in 2002 in response to 9/11. AFS places Indian high school students with host families and schools in the United States for academic year exchanges.
• University of Pennsylvania - Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFS partnered with the Center for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania (an Ivy League institution) to develop the AFS Global You Changemaker program and enhance the AFS Student Learning Journey curriculum.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFS supports UN SDGs #4 (Quality Education) and #16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). AFS empowers students and adults with skills to tackle global challenges including gender equality, quality education, reduced inequalities, climate action, and partnerships for goals.
• AFS India Member Schools (200+) in IndiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor200+ schools pan India have affiliated with AFS India for intercultural learning programs. Schools pay annual membership fees (INR 25,000 or Rs 5,000 for scholarship schools) and commit to sending/hosting participants and hosting regional/national events.
• Educational Institutions (Universities and Colleges)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education institutions (regulated by UGC, AICTE, MCI, PCI, DEC, BCI, NCTE, ICAR, ICSSR, CSIR, or state regulatory agencies) can become AFS members to host international students, facilitate internships, and participate in faculty exchanges.
• AFS Global Network (54+ Countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFS operates through a global network of organizations present in 54+ countries, coordinating reciprocal exchanges, hosting arrangements, and program delivery across borders.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a nonprofit offering high school exchange, au pair, and work travel programs. It is a direct peer to AFS India's high school exchange business with a similar nonprofit, volunteer-supported model.
• ASSE International Student Exchange Programs: ASSE is a nonprofit student exchange organization operating in 30+ countries, offering year, semester, and short-term high school programs. It is a close direct peer to AFS India in the secondary school exchange segment with comparable volunteer-driven operating model.
• Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door is an international student exchange organization offering high school programs, language immersion, and host family placements. It competes with AFS India for both outbound Indian students and inbound host family placements.
• AIESEC India: AIESEC operates a large youth exchange network in India focused on global internship and volunteer experiences for university students. It overlaps with AFS India's 18+ Programs (AFSNext) and corporate internship tracks, targeting a similar Indian youth demographic.
• Youth For Understanding (YFU): YFU is one of the largest and oldest international high school student exchange organizations globally, with operations in 60+ countries. It is the closest direct competitor to AFS India's core secondary school exchange offering, serving the same 15-18 year old segment with similar year-long and semester programs.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a leading nonprofit international exchange organization offering high school study abroad, gap year, and college programs. It is directly comparable to AFS India as a mission-driven competitor in the youth exchange space, with strong institutional school and university partnerships.
• Rotary Youth Exchange: Rotary Youth Exchange is a long-standing secondary school exchange program run through Rotary International's global club network. It directly competes with AFS India's year-long high school exchange offering and similarly relies on volunteer host families and community-based support.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: EF is a global, for-profit education company offering language learning, study abroad, and cultural exchange programs. It competes with AFS India's study abroad and language learning offerings but operates at much larger scale with paid marketing and technology investment that AFS cannot match as a nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndiaAFS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcV66CEOcW0AkYd1qNaMHZw
• Facebookfacebook.com/afsindia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afs-intercultural-programs-india
• Instagraminstagram.com/afs_india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AFS Intercultural Programs India