What Naam Foundation does

Naam Foundation is a non-profit charitable trust registered in Pune, Maharashtra, India, founded in September 2015 by Bollywood actors Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure in response to the 2015 Maharashtra drought and the farmer suicide crisis. The organization operates a multi-sectoral rural development portfolio anchored on water conservation (river rejuvenation, nala/odha deepening, canal construction, farm pond construction, percolation tank desilting, dam desilting, borewell rejuvenation) and complemented by farming support (contract farming with Himalaya Drug Company, soil testing, drip irrigation, seed bank), education (school construction, institutional tie-ups with MGM University, bicycle and school-kit distribution, digital school transformation), widow welfare (financial aid, sewing machines, animal husbandry), disaster relief (flood, cyclone, COVID-19, NDRF kitchen vans), and health services. Programs are delivered through a 51–100 person team with four regional coordinators covering Western Maharashtra, Konkan, Marathwada, and Vidarbha & Khandesh, reaching 1.27 crore+ people across 2,187 villages since inception.

The organization's revenue model is non-commercial: it is funded through individual donations (eligible for 50% tax deduction under Section 80G, plus FCRA-compliant international donations via Benevity), corporate CSR contributions from 30+ partners (Tata Motors, BASF India, SICK India, Epiroc Mining India, CANPACK, CDSL Ventures, Persistent Foundation, NHPC, Yazaki India, and others), and government partnerships formalized through MoUs with the Government of Maharashtra. Designated as the executing agency for the Jal Yukt Shivar program alongside Tata Motors, Naam Foundation has rejuvenated 1,357+ water bodies across 26+ districts and excavated 5.85 crore+ cubic meters between 2015 and 2025. No commercial pricing applies; beneficiaries receive services at no cost, and the organization's governance is led by a board of trustees including Chairman Nana Patekar, Secretary Makarand Anaspure, and Treasurer Chandrasekhar L.S.

Name

Naam Foundation

Legal name

Naam Foundation

Website

https://naammh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Naam Foundation is a Pune-based non-profit trust founded in 2015 by actors Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure that delivers water conservation, farming support, education, widow welfare, and disaster relief programs to drought-affected farming communities across Maharashtra, funded through donations, CSR grants, and government MoUs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Rural Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Security, Agriculture & Nutrition Aid Programs (BPADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infrastructure, Energy & Urban Development Aid Programs (BPADABAJ), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI), Health, Population & WASH Aid Programs (BPADABAC)

Keywords

• Water conservation programs
• Rural development services
• Farmer welfare support
• Disaster relief operations
• Nonprofit charitable services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pune

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Naam Foundation is a charitable trust that raises funds from individual donors, corporations, and government bodies. Donations are eligible for 50% tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The foundation also accepts international donations via FCRA-compliant bank accounts and through Benevity employer giving platform.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funding: Naam Foundation partners with corporations to execute CSR-mandated projects in water conservation, education, and rural development. CSR collaborations include Tata Motors, BASF India, SICK India, Epiroc Mining India, CANPACK, CDSL Ventures, Persistent Foundation, Ekato India, Fabtech Technologies, Komatsu India, Krishna Conchem, NHPC Ltd., Nipro India, Paranjape Autocast, Testo India, Yazaki India, Travelex India, Grand Maratha Foundation, Karanja Ganesh Properties, and others.
3. Government Partnerships and MoUs: Formalized partnerships with Government of Maharashtra for social sector initiatives including water conservation, health, rural livelihood, and nutrition targeting backward and drought-hit regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Naam Foundation delivers a portfolio of rural development and humanitarian programs to drought-affected farming communities across Maharashtra, India. Its core offerings center on water conservation engineering works (river rejuvenation, dam desilting, canal and farm pond construction, borewell rejuvenation), farming support (contract farming, soil testing, seed bank, drip irrigation), education (school construction, institutional tie-ups, digital school transformation), widow welfare (financial aid, income generation tools, animal husbandry), disaster relief (flood, cyclone, COVID-19 response, NDRF support), and livelihood programs. All services are provided free of cost to beneficiaries and funded through donations, corporate CSR, and government partnerships.

Product overview

Naam Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization founded by actors Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure in September 2015, focused on addressing drought conditions and farmer welfare in Maharashtra, India. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected social impact programs rather than a unified technology product. Its core offerings include Water Conservation Programs (river rejuvenation, canal construction, farm pond construction, dam desilting, borewell rejuvenation), Farming Support (contract farming, soil testing, drip irrigation), Education Initiatives (school construction, institutional tie-ups, digital schools), Health Services (medical camps, concession cards), Widow Welfare (financial aid, income generation), Disaster Relief (flood relief, COVID-19 response), and Livelihood Projects (seed banks, fruit processing). The organization also operates a donation platform accepting contributions for its various initiatives with tax benefit eligibility. These programs are delivered through corporate CSR partnerships with companies like Tata Motors, BASF, and others, rather than through a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Conservation Programs Comprehensive water conservation engineering programs including river rejuvenation, nala/stream/odha deepening, canal construction, farm pond construction, percolation tank desilting, water pipeline construction, dam desilting, trench excavation, borewell rejuvenation, and strata surveying and mapping for rural communities in Maharashtra.
• Farming Support Programs Agricultural support services including contract farming partnerships with companies like Himalaya Drug Company for medicinal and herbal plant cultivation (e.g., Tulsi), Support Cum Reward Scheme for crop damage by wild animals, soil testing machines, drip irrigation, and field ploughing services for farmers.
• Education Initiatives Educational support for farmer families including construction of schools (Shantivan School, ZP School Aachara), institutional tie-ups with MGM University Aurangabad, bicycle distribution, school kits distribution, and digital school transformation (Taldev).
• Mass Marriages Program Financial assistance for mass marriages to help farmers avoid debt traps, with contributions to ceremonies held in Marathwada and Vidarbha districts.
• Health Services Healthcare support including medical concession cards for discounted medical facilities and free medical check-up camps in collaboration with Sane Guruji Hospital and Indian Medical Association (IMA).
• Village Welfare Services Village development activities including water purification machine installation, housing construction for needy families, sanitation through toilet construction, and tree plantation drives.
• Widow Welfare Programs Support for widows of farmer suicides including immediate financial aid, income generation training (sewing machines, flour mills), and animal husbandry support through goat distribution.
• Disaster Relief Operations Emergency response services including flood relief (Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara 2019 and 2025), fodder distribution during drought, COVID-19 response with ration kit distribution, cyclone rehabilitation (Cyclone Nisarga 2020), and NDRF kitchen van donations.
• Army Martyr Family Welfare Financial support of Rs. 2.5 lakh to families of Indian Army martyrs who died in service as acknowledgement of their sacrifice.
• Livelihood Projects Sustainable livelihood programs including Project Ulka for wild fruit processing in Tadoba forest areas and Seed Bank Project for farmers providing foundation-grade chickpea and soybean seeds with free seed-sowing machines, Trichoderma treatment, and post-sowing expert agricultural advisories.
• Jal Yukt Shivar Initiative Large-scale water conservation collaboration with Government of Maharashtra and Tata Motors for water body rejuvenation across all districts in Maharashtra, having completed 1,357+ water bodies with projects continuing in 2024 and 2025 across 26+ districts.
• Donation Platform Online donation facility accepting contributions from individuals and international donors for various Naam Foundation initiatives, with Section 80G tax deduction eligibility and FCRA-compliant international donation options through Benevity employer giving platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77.17 lakh farmers benefited; 1.27 crore+ people impacted; 2,187 villages covered; 198 rivers and 531+ nalas rejuvenated; 40,847 crore litres water storage capacity created (14.43 TMC)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Government of MaharashtracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Maharashtra state government signed an MoU with Naam Foundation in Mumbai to strengthen social sector initiatives. Partnership focuses on core areas including water conservation, health, rural livelihood, and nutrition, particularly targeting backward and drought-hit regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the collaboration between government and voluntary organisations will help reach financially stressed segments lacking access to essential services.
• Tata Motors (via Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTata Motors and Government of Maharashtra signed an MoU for water conservation projects across all districts in Maharashtra. Naam Foundation is the executing agency for the Jal Yukt Shivar program. Projects include river/nala rejuvenation, water body desilting, and CCT construction across 26 districts. Amrut Sarovar Project completed in Palghar district covering 8 villages.
• Himalaya Drug CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaam Foundation collaborated with Himalaya Drug Company to empower farmers in Maharashtra through contract farming of medicinal and herbal plants. 13 farmers from Aurangabad cultivated Tulsi on ~10 acres. Company conducted soil and water testing, provided training on cultivation, harvesting, and packaging. Seeds, packing materials, and transport were provided. Buy-back guarantee ensured market linkages. First yield income ranged Rs. 15,440 to Rs. 31,960 per farmer in 3 months.
• BioConcepts PuneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioConcepts Pune serves as executing agency alongside Naam Foundation for current projects, including river rejuvenation research and investigation conducted by Mrs. Poorva Joshi (BioConcepts Founder) and Mr. Ganesh Thorat (NAAM CEO).
• SICK India LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: SICK India funded water conservation project in Rajache Kurle village, Maan taluka, Satara district. Project included excavation and widening of odhas/nalas, desiltation of pazar talav, and construction of CCT and Deep CCT. Total cost Rs. 8,00,000. Completed 2023. Benefited 3,152 people.
• Epiroc Mining India Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: Epiroc funded Amrutdhara Project across 7 villages in Chalisgaon taluka, Jalgaon district (desiltation of pazar talav, Rs. 1 Cr, 25,698 beneficiaries, 2023) and Mhaiskhadak-Zundipada and Mhaismal projects in Surgana taluka, Nashik district (2024). Combined beneficiaries: 26,931.
• BASF India LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: BASF funded water conservation projects in Hingoli and Kalamnuri districts. Bhingi village: excavation and widening of odhas/nalas, Rs. 1.84 Cr, 1,200 beneficiaries (2024). Ambala: excavation/widening and CCT construction, 1,800 beneficiaries (2024). Waranga Mesai: 2,081 beneficiaries (2024).
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaam Foundation donated 5 fully customized kitchen vehicles to NDRF. These mobile kitchens travel with rescue teams into disaster zones. This is a token of gratitude for NDRF's dedication to disaster response and rescuing lakhs of lives during emergency situations.
• MGM University AurangabadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional tie-up: MGM University provides free education quota for children from suicide-affected farmer families. Naam Foundation refers studious and needy students for courses including engineering, nursing, polytechnic, hotel management, and IIT preparation. 49 students referred to date.
• CANPACK India Pvt. Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: CANPACK funded desiltation of pazars/talavs in Dhamangaon (Ashti, Beed, Rs. 91.13 lakh, 5,120 beneficiaries), Pargaon Jogeshwari (Ashti, Beed, Rs. 23.1 lakh, 2,955 beneficiaries), and Manikdaundi (Pathardi, Ahilyanagar, Rs. 1.33 Cr, 3,259 beneficiaries). All completed 2024.
• NHPC Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: NHPC funded three water conservation projects — Gondune (Surgana, Nashik: excavation/widening, Rs. 24.89 lakh, 1,889 beneficiaries, 2025), Borgaon-Hiridpada (Surgana, Nashik: desiltation, Rs. 27.44 lakh, 2,172 beneficiaries, 2025), and Parkandi (Maan, Satara: desiltation, Rs. 40.75 lakh, 700 beneficiaries, 2025).
• Persistent FoundationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: Persistent Foundation funded desiltation of pazars/talavs in Bhugaon, Mulshi, Pune district (Rs. 5 lakh, 8,564 beneficiaries, 2024).
• Yazaki India LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: Yazaki India funded excavation and widening of odhas/nalas and desiltation of pazars/talavs in Kanhur Mesai, Shirur, Pune district (Rs. 37.91 lakh, 4,028 beneficiaries, 2023).
• CDSL Ventures LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCSR collaboration: CDSL funded Mandhar project (Purandhar, Pune: excavation/widening and desiltation, Rs. 55.58 lakh, 1,631 beneficiaries, 2024) and Manerwadi project (Purandhar, Pune: excavation/widening, Rs. 73.29 lakh, 720 beneficiaries, 2025).
• Dr. Milind Watve and Mrs. Poorva Joshi (BioConcepts)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSenior scientist Dr. Milind Watve and Mrs. Poorva Joshi of BioConcepts Pune are implementing the Support Cum Reward Scheme for crop damage compensation near Tadoba Sanctuary. They are carrying out the scheme for two villages, with Rs. 6,07,314 rewarded to approximately 71 farmers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): NGO operating across rural India promoting livelihoods for poor rural households through agriculture, water resources, and women's empowerment programs. Comparable mission around farmer income enhancement and rural livelihood restoration.
• Ambuja Cement Foundation: Corporate CSR foundation executing water conservation, agriculture, and rural development programs across India — comparable model of CSR-funded rural infrastructure delivery through NGO-style program execution.
• Gram Vikas: Odisha-based rural development NGO focused on water security, sanitation, and sustainable livelihoods in tribal and rural communities. Comparable integrated water-sanitation-livelihood model with rural poor as primary beneficiaries.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: Large Pune-headquartered development nonprofit working on livestock development, watershed management, and sustainable agriculture across rural India. Comparable multi-state rural development portfolio with agricultural livelihoods focus similar to Naam Foundation's farming programs.
• Swayam Shikshan Prayog: Maharashtra-based NGO empowering rural women through self-help groups, sustainable agriculture, and water security programs. Comparable target beneficiary overlap (rural women and small farmers in drought-affected Maharashtra).
• Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): Pune-headquartered nonprofit focused on watershed development, climate-resilient agriculture, and water conservation in Maharashtra and other drought-prone Indian states. Most direct peer to Naam Foundation given geographic overlap, mission alignment on rural water security, and similar beneficiary base of small/marginal farmers.

Broad incumbents

• Reliance Foundation: Corporate foundation of Reliance Industries operating pan-India across rural development, health, education, disaster response, and agriculture. Comparable multi-sectoral rural development approach and CSR funding scale, though with vastly larger geographic reach.
• Tata Trusts: India's largest philanthropic foundation operating across rural development, water, agriculture, education, and health at national scale. Notable overlap as Tata Motors (Tata group) is one of Naam Foundation's largest CSR partners for the Jal Yukt Shivar program.

Regional players

• Mahan Trust: Melghat-region Maharashtra-based NGO focused on tribal health, nutrition, and rural livelihoods in one of Maharashtra's most underserved districts. Comparable regional development focus within Maharashtra.
• Deshpande Foundation: Karnataka/Maharashtra-focused development foundation supporting entrepreneurship, agriculture, and rural livelihood programs. Overlapping geographic presence in western India and similar focus on farmer income enhancement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NaamFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/naamfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naamfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Naam Foundation