WASSAN FOUNDATION

What WASSAN FOUNDATION does

WASSAN Foundation (legal name: Watershed Support Services and Activities Network) is a non-profit civil society organization registered as a Public Trust in Telangana, India, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Hyderabad. It operates a network-based model focused on bringing prosperity with ecological security to rainfed areas of India, working with smallholder farmers, tribal communities, women self-help groups (SHGs), and state governments. The organization operates offices across 12 locations in four intensive states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand) and engages with 7+ additional states through its national networks.

WASSAN's core offerings fall into three buckets: (1) Program Management Unit (PMU) and Program Secretariat services for state government flagship programs — most notably the Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), Odisha Rainfed Agriculture Mission (ORAM), and Natural Farming Transition in Tribal Landscapes; (2) Network anchoring — it acts as national Network Hub for the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRA Network) and Secretariat for the National Coalition on Natural Farming (NCNF); and (3) Technology/enterprise platforms including the Innovation Guild (connecting innovators with Village Level Entrepreneurs via Rainmatter Foundation), Millet Shakti (trademarked millet enterprise brand with 3,500+ WSHG enterprises), the Open Source Digital Platform for Landraces, and Participatory Machinery Development tools. It also delivers donor-funded multi-country initiatives such as the CSIRO-led Learning Water Resource Management (LWRM) project.

The business model is grant-and-contract-driven: revenue comes from government program contracts (PMU/secretariat fees), philanthropic donor support (Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, HSBC, Welthungerhilfe, Rainmatter Foundation), membership/network fees for RRA Network and NCNF, and a small commercial stream from Millet Shakti products sold through Amazon, Milk Mantra, Zomato, and government food programs (PDS, ICDS, MDM). Annual turnover is approximately INR 40 crores (~$4.8 million). The organization is governed by a board of trustees chaired by Jagadananda and led operationally by Executive Secretary Dr. Sabyasachi Das, with 400+ staff across its operating geographies.

Name

WASSAN FOUNDATION

Legal name

Watershed Support Services and Activities Network

Website

https://wassan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WASSAN Foundation is a Hyderabad-based non-profit Public Trust that anchors government program management units (notably the Odisha Millets Mission) and national networks for rainfed agriculture, working with smallholder farmers, tribal communities, and women SHGs across 4+ Indian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development and Rainfed Agriculture Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Seed Production & Multiplication (Contract Growing, Foundation/Certified Seed) (AFABAFAK)

Keywords

• Rainfed agriculture development
• Watershed development services
• Natural farming programs
• Millet value chain
• Community-led livelihoods

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Program Implementation: WASSAN earns revenue by anchoring Program Management Units (PMUs) and serving as Program Secretariat for government programs such as Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), Odisha Rainfed Agriculture Mission (ORAM), Natural Farming programs, and other state-level initiatives. Annual turnover is approximately INR 40 crores.
2. Network and Capacity Building Services: WASSAN generates revenue through capacity building, training, and network support services provided to civil society organizations, governments, and development initiatives. The organization supports watershed development and livelihood initiatives in partnership with local communities.
3. Millet Shakti Enterprise Development: Through the Millet Shakti initiative with Mission Shakti, WASSAN supports women SHGs and FPOs engaged in millet processing, value addition, and marketing. Over 3500 enterprises have been established generating a turnover exceeding Rs 4 crores.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WASSAN Foundation is a non-profit civil society network that designs, anchors, and implements programs in rainfed agriculture, watershed development, natural farming, and millet-based livelihoods. It serves as a Program Management Unit (PMU) and Program Secretariat for state and central government initiatives, and delivers capacity building, technical assistance, and community-based implementation services to farming and tribal communities.

Product overview

WASSAN (Watershed Support Services and Activities Network) is a non-profit organization focused on bringing prosperity with ecological security to rainfed areas in India, with emphasis on impoverished communities. WASSAN operates as a network-based organization offering a portfolio of programs and knowledge products. Key programs include the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRA Network) and National Coalition on Natural Farming (NCNF), which serve as policy and coordination platforms. For direct implementation, WASSAN partners with state governments on programs including the Odisha Millet Mission (OMM), Andhra Pradesh Community Natural Farming Programme, and Integrated Farming Systems. The Innovation Guild serves as a technology adoption platform connecting Village Level Entrepreneurs with innovators. Additional offerings include the BN Yugandhar Fellowship for capacity building, along with publications such as case studies, books/booklets, and training materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Odisha Millet Mission (OMM) Program Secretariat
• Andhra Pradesh Community Natural Farming (APCNF) Programme Support
• Integrated Farming System (IFS) Implementation
• Innovation Guild Platform
• Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network Hub
• National Coalition on Natural Farming (NCNF) Secretariat
• BN Yugandhar Fellowship Program
• Backyard Poultry Program Implementation
• Jiwi Daah Hasa Watershed Project Lead Technical Agency
• Millet Shakti Brand and Enterprise Development
• Learning Water Resource Management (LWRM) Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.4 Lakh Women SHGs and 1.43 Lakh hectare of land under Odisha Millets Mission across 30 districts and 177 blocks
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• University of Cambridge (TIGR2ESS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Research collaboration on 'Public procurement of Finger Millet (Ragi/Mandia) in Odisha' studying the impact of MSP procurement of Ragi on open market sales in Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts.
• CYSD (Centre for Sustainable Development)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration in Keonjhar district for training and grooming a cadre of Farmer Resource Persons (FRPs) who implement Natural Farming practices locally.
• Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production, Odisha / Mission Shakti / Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Tripartite partnership for Promotion of Nutritional Security and Millets Based Livelihoods Through Women SHGs. Created 3500+ enterprises with Rs 4+ crores turnover through the Millet Shakti initiative.
• Mission Shakti, Government of OdishacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Millet Shakti initiative - joint effort to promote millet entrepreneurship, awareness campaigns, and consumption through women SHGs in Odisha. 26 varieties of ready-to-eat products under the brand, available on e-commerce platforms.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Tripartite MoA between Department of Agriculture, IRRI, and Department of Mission Shakti for establishment of Mini Millet Factory for production and packaging of millets and Low GI Rice.
• Institute of Hotel ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Training and capacity building of WSHGs on preparation and standardization of hot cooked and value added dry millets products. 360 members trained.
• Indian Institute of PackagingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Knowledge transfer and training in packaging, testing and branding for WSHGs. 90 members trained.
• Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI), MysoreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Training on food hygiene and technology encapsulating updated code of food standards of industries. 56 members trained.
• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CSIRO leads the Learning Water Resource Management (LWRM) project in collaboration with Western Sydney University, SARDI, and WASSAN. The project introduces four water management tools (Climate Risk Analysis, Strategic Irrigation via VIA, Soil Micro-biology, Groundwater/Aquifer Management via MARVI) to improve water management for 1.4 million farmers in rainfed areas of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha.
• Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Government of OdishaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017WASSAN serves as Program Secretariat for the Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), a flagship program of the Government of Odisha to revive millets in farms and plates. Also anchors Odisha Rainfed Agriculture Mission (ORAM) and Natural Farming Transition in Tribal Landscapes programs.
• Welthungerhilfe (WHH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017WASSAN collaborates with Welthungerhilfe (WHH) in implementing Promoting Sustainable Integrated Farming Systems through Multi-actor Partnership in Odisha, targeting 14,000 small and marginalized farmers in Malkangiri and Rayagada districts.
• National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017WASSAN is a Knowledge Partner to NRAA and was a member of the committee for drafting National Guidelines for New Generation Watershed Development Program. Collaborates on evidence-based policy development.
• CSIROcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Collaborative research on water management tools including Chameleon sensors for strategic irrigation, climate risk analysis, soil micro-biology and water use efficiency, and MARVI for groundwater management.
• Government of Odisha (ST & SC Development Department)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017WASSAN serves as PMU for Enabling Natural Farming Transition in Tribal Landscapes of Odisha, aiming to transition farmers in 5 districts and 45 blocks of Odisha to nature-based agriculture practices.
• Government of Odisha / MGNREGA / BRLF / WHHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Jiwi Daah Hasa - High Impact Mega Watershed Project in Jharkhand. WASSAN is Lead Technical Agency building capacities of Gram Panchayats in planning and implementation of MGNREGA for eco-system revival.
• FAO IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming in Tribal Areas (SPPIF) in Odisha - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nuapada and Gajapati districts.
• Rainmatter FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Rainmatter Foundation co-founded the Innovation Guild with WASSAN - an ecosystem for supporting last-mile adoption of agricultural innovations through Village Level Entrepreneurs.
• Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Project (APDMP) / IFADcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017APDMP aims to mitigate adverse impacts of drought in dryland districts of Andhra Pradesh, supported by Government of Andhra Pradesh and IFAD. Learning sites established for LWRM project with ~165k farmers.
• Andhra Pradesh Community Natural Farming (APCNF) / Rythu Sadhikara SamsthacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017APCNF aims to enhance farmer welfare through holistic alternatives to chemical inputs-based agriculture. Supported by Andhra Pradesh Department of Agriculture. Learning sites for LWRM with ~500k farmers.
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017NABARD's watershed program in Karnataka provides funds for rural infrastructure to enable long-term irrigation practices. Learning sites for LWRM project established.
• TRICOR Project, Animal Husbandry Department, Government of Andhra PradeshcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Strengthening of Backyard Poultry (BYP) for Livelihood and Nutritional Security for Women in Tribal Areas. WASSAN is Lead Technical Agency in ITDA areas of 5 districts.
• South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017SARDI delivers the Climate Risk Analysis component of the LWRM project - tools for understanding climate, analysing risk for sowing and irrigation decisions, and crop pattern analysis.
• Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming in Tribal Areas (SPPIF) / Department of Agriculture, OdishacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017SPPIF launched in 2017 in tribal areas of Odisha for comprehensive development of Agriculture, Horticulture, Livestock and Fisheries in Rainfed areas. Initiated in Malkangiri targeting 20,000 HHs, expanded to 4 more districts covering 100,000 households.
• NCNF (National Coalition on Natural Farming)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017WASSAN anchors the Secretariat of the National Coalition on Natural Farming (NCNF) - an expanded coalition of civil society organisations, researchers and others working on mainstreaming Natural Farming.
• RRA Network (Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017WASSAN anchors the national Network Hub of the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRA Network) which promotes sustainable rainfed agriculture across India.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): PRADAN is a leading Indian NGO that designs and implements livelihoods programs with marginalized rural communities across multiple states. It is comparable to WASSAN through its grassroots cadre model, focus on tribal and rainfed geographies, and reliance on government program partnerships for scale.
• MYRADA: MYRADA is a Karnataka-based NGO with deep experience in community-managed natural resource management, watershed development, and FPO promotion. It is directly comparable to WASSAN through its grassroots institution-building approach and long-running partnerships with state governments on rainfed agriculture programs.
• DHAN Foundation: DHAN Foundation is a Tamil Nadu-based development NGO focused on rainfed farming, small farmers' institutions, and microfinance for poor communities. It is comparable to WASSAN in its emphasis on rainfed agriculture, community-managed programs, and building federated networks of grassroots organizations.
• Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI): CInI is a tribal livelihoods-focused non-profit operating in central Indian tribal belts with programs in agriculture, water, and enterprise development. It is directly comparable to WASSAN through its focus on tribal and rainfed communities, partnerships with state governments, and integrated farming system approach.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: BAIF is a pan-Indian development research and implementation organization working on livestock, agriculture, and watershed livelihoods for rural poor households. It overlaps with WASSAN on integrated farming systems, livestock development (backyard poultry, breed conservation), and watershed work in rainfed and tribal regions.
• Action for Agricultural Renewal in Maharashtra (AFARM): AFARM is a Pune-based consortium of NGOs supporting watershed development, sustainable agriculture, and farmer livelihoods across Maharashtra. Comparable to WASSAN in its watershed focus, NGO-network federation model, and reliance on government program partnerships.
• Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): WOTR is a Pune-based non-profit focused on watershed development and climate-resilient agriculture in rainfed Maharashtra and other states. It is directly comparable to WASSAN in mission (watershed and rainfed farming), approach (participatory community engagement), and revenue model (government PMUs, donor grants, and program management).

Broad incumbents

• Tata Trusts: Tata Trusts is India's largest philanthropic foundation with multi-thematic rural livelihoods, agriculture, and water programs across India. It is comparable to WASSAN as a broader incumbent in the same space but operates at vastly larger scale with diverse thematic areas beyond rainfed agriculture.
• Reliance Foundation: Reliance Foundation runs large-scale rural transformation, agriculture, and watershed programs across India. It is broadly comparable to WASSAN as a major philanthropic funder/implementer in Indian agriculture but with substantially greater resources and broader thematic scope.

Others

• Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives (APPI): APPI is a major Indian philanthropic funder that finances sustainable agriculture, natural farming, and rural livelihoods programs—including funding WASSAN's Natural Farming Transition in Tribal Landscapes work. It is thematically related as a key funder in WASSAN's ecosystem and shares overlapping mission focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WASSANIndia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSxzv6bDi29hoOpkm3k02WA
• Facebookfacebook.com/WASSANIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wassan-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WASSAN FOUNDATION