Sankalp Open School

What Sankalp Open School does

Sankalp Open School (legally Sankalp Trust) is a Chennai-based not-for-profit established in 1999 that provides individualized education, therapy and vocational training for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) and Global Development Delay (GDD). It operates two physical centres in Chennai — The Learning Centre & Special Needs School at Poonamallee (a 1.35-acre, 36,000 sq ft purpose-built campus for ASD) and The Open School at Shenoy Nagar (~10,000 sq ft for SLD) — and is approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) to run a two-year D.Ed Spl.Ed IDD teacher training programme and by NIOS/NIOS AVI to prepare students for board examinations and accredited vocational courses.

The organization's core methodology stack includes Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment Programme (IEP/LPAD), Sensory Integration, and per-child Individualized Education Programmes built on formal psycho-educational assessments (NIMHANS Battery, Woodcock Johnson). Service lines span Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, remedial teaching, after-school support for mainstream-school students, pre-vocational training (Sahayika, ages 14-18), vocational training (PRAYAAS, Samyukt, ages 18+) and community-employment transition support (BEYOND PRAYAAS). The teacher-training programme addresses India's documented shortage of certified special educators.

Revenue is generated from subsidized tuition and therapy fees (annual tuition ₹60,000 for ages 4-14, monthly tuition ₹5,000, therapy ₹2,800/month, vocational fees ₹72,000/year or ₹6,000/month) and from donations/grants under 80G from a diversified roster of corporate donors and charitable trusts. Go-to-market is direct-to-parent admissions plus community-led outreach (mainstream-school workshops, referrals, word-of-mouth) and annual professional events such as the LEARN conference. The trust is led by Founder Directors Dr. Sulata Ajit (Learning Centre) and Lakshmi Krishnakumar (Open School), with a board of trustees from industry, banking and law.

Name

Sankalp Open School

Legal name

Sankalp Trust

Website

https://sankalpnet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sankalp Open School (Sankalp Trust) is a Chennai-based not-for-profit, founded in 1999, that delivers individualized education, therapy, and vocational training for children and young adults with ASD, SLD, and IDD across two Chennai centres and an RCI-certified teacher training programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Vocational training programs
• Autism spectrum support
• Learning disability programs
• Teacher training courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fee Revenue: Sankalp charges tuition fees for special education services including annual tuition fees (₹60,000 for ages 4-14), monthly tuition (₹5,000), therapy fees (₹2,800/month), and vocational training fees (₹72,000 annual, ₹6,000 monthly).
2. Donations and Grants: Not-for-profit organization funded by corporate donors, charitable trusts, individual donors, and government grants. Major donors include Tata, MRF, DP World, Atos, Johnson, Hotbreads, Ceebros, AVT, Aban, Star Health, VS B, Tristar, Supraja, and various charitable trusts.
3. Donation-based Funding: Tax-exempt donations under 80G. Sponsors can fund student tuition, therapy, vocational training, stipends, and teaching aids. UPI and bank transfer options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sankalp Open School is a charitable trust that runs a special needs school, an open school (NIOS-affiliated), vocational training units, and an RCI-approved teacher training programme for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It also offers add-on therapy services (occupational, speech, and physiotherapy) and short-term certificate courses for working with children with learning disabilities.

Product overview

Sankalp is a not-for-profit organisation providing individualized educational programmes and vocational training for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), and Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD). The organisation operates through its core educational units: The Learning Centre & Special Needs School (for ASD), The Open School (for SLD), and multiple Vocational Centres. Its product portfolio spans from early intervention and academic education to vocational training and employment support, including programmes like Sahayika (pre-vocational, 14-18 years), Samyukt (vocational, 18+ years), PRAYAAS (1-2 year vocational training), and BEYOND PRAYAAS (employment transitional support). Complementary services include therapeutic interventions (Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy), remedial teaching, psycho-educational assessments, and teacher training courses (D.Ed Spl.Ed IDD certified by RCI). The programmes are delivered across centres in Chennai, India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Learning Centre & Special Needs School: Exclusive school for children at all levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), focusing on balancing academics with skill training.
• The Open School
• PRAYAAS
• BEYOND PRAYAAS
• SAHAYIKA
• SAMYUKT

Products and services

• The Learning Centre & Special Needs School

Quantifiable outcome

• Students trained for NIOS Secondary and Higher Secondary Board examinations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IIRN (Institute for International Research Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2024Collaboration for LEARN 2024 Conference - Neurodiversity Matters: An International Conference on Inclusion and Empowerment held on September 21st and 22nd, 2024 at Hotel Raintree, Anna Salai, Chennai. Jointly organized conference with virtual streaming options.
• Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCI has approved Sankalp to conduct the Teacher Training Course 'D. Ed Spl. Ed IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)' starting Academic year 2023-2024.
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIOS accredited centre for students to appear for Secondary and Higher Secondary Board examinations. Students trained at Sankalp write NIOS exams and can transition back to mainstream schools.
• NIOS AVIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIOS AVI accredited Centre for Vocational Training, providing certified vocational courses for young adults with special needs including Data Entry Operations, Baking and Confectionery, Tailoring and Dress Making.
• Hindustan College of Arts and Science, ChennaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShort term certificate courses on Learning Disabilities conducted at the college campus as part of teacher training outreach.
• Lady Andal Therapy and Learning CentreminorOthersAnnual participation in art, singing, and dance competitions organized by Lady Andal Centre.
• DGV College SNEO CellminorOthersBeyond Prayaas team conducted 'Art of Expression' workshop for 40 grad students at DGV College's Special Needs Equal Opportunity Cell.
• Mainstream Schools (Chennai)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorkshops conducted in mainstream schools to help identify students with Learning Disabilities and counsel parents on remedial teaching.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Manovikas Kendra: Kolkata-based special education centre for children with cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities. Manovikas provides similar integrated educational and therapeutic services with multi-decade operational history, comparable to Sankalp in scope and longevity in a different Indian metro.
• Tamana: Delhi-based NGO providing education, vocational training, and therapy across the lifespan for individuals with autism, intellectual, and multiple disabilities. Tamana runs multiple centres and offers a comparable integrated school-to-vocational continuum, making it a relevant direct peer despite geographic separation.
• Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA): Chennai-based NGO offering assessments, remediation, and teacher training for children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Sankalp's Principal Jayalakshmi B holds an MDA certificate course, indicating MDA is a closely comparable peer in SLD assessment and remediation in the same Chennai market.
• Action for Autism (AFA): Delhi-based pioneering NGO dedicated to autism awareness, education, and advocacy in India since 1991. AFA operates a school, training programs, and parent support services — closely aligned with Sankalp's The Learning Centre (ASD) model and methodology focus on autism-specific interventions.
• Alpha to Omega Learning Centre: Chennai-based special education centre for children with Specific Learning Difficulties, founded by Dr. Ambika Nair. Sankalp founders Lakshmi Krishnakumar and Subhashini Rao both previously worked at Alpha to Omega, making it the most directly comparable peer — same city, overlapping SLD focus, similar Feuerstein methodology lineage.
• Ummeed Child Development Center: Mumbai-based non-profit providing diagnostic, therapeutic, and educational services for children with developmental disabilities including ASD. Ummeed is widely regarded as one of India's leading special needs centers with a similar integrated service model, making it a strong direct comparable for Sankalp's ASD offering at a national level.

Emerging players

• Ashray Akruti: Hyderabad-based NGO providing education, vocational training, and therapy for children and adults with hearing impairment and multiple disabilities. While its primary focus is hearing impairment (partial overlap), Ashray Akruti's integrated school-plus-vocational-plus-therapy model mirrors Sankalp's service continuum.

Regional players

• National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD): Chennai-based autonomous national institute under DEPwD, Government of India, offering education, rehabilitation, and training for persons with multiple disabilities including ASD, SLD, and IDD. As a government body with broader disability mandate, it is an adjacent regional player against which Sankalp competes for students and recognition in the same Chennai market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtD6vNRroSfOSgzK1JMZmBQ/videos?disable_polymer=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sankalp-Trust-100917328237227
• Instagraminstagram.com/sankalp_trust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sankalp-open-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sankalp Open School