The/Nudge Institute
The/Nudge Institute is a Bengaluru-based nonprofit action institute, founded in 2015, that partners with governments, markets, and civil society to build resilient livelihoods for rural women, smallholder farmers, and India's most excluded households across multiple states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBengaluru, India
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The/Nudge Institute does
The/Nudge Institute is a Bengaluru-headquartered nonprofit action institute working to alleviate poverty in India by building resilient livelihoods for rural women, smallholder farmers, and the most excluded households. Founded in 2015 by Atul Satija after leaving InMobi, the organization operates across at least eight Indian states with a field staff of 350–400 and a portfolio of nine programs that split into two layers: direct livelihood implementation (Economic Inclusion Program, Asha Kiran, InSight) and ecosystem orchestration (Incubator, Accelerator, Indian Administrative Fellowship, The/Nudge Prize, Forum/charcha, Meta Pragati).
Its business model is philanthropic rather than commercial, with revenue flowing from foundation grants (notably the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Asha Kiran and HDFC Parivartan), corporate social responsibility funding (Microsoft, Tata Communications, Mphasis F1 Foundation), and government partnerships that embed the organization within state livelihood missions (UPSRLM, JSLPS) and central bodies (NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission). The organization also operates an incubator/accelerator that disburses ₹20 lakh–₹1 crore grants to social entrepreneurs and convenes the annual charcha livelihoods summit.
Strategic positioning rests on a tripartite model that coordinates governments, markets, and civil society simultaneously, and on evidence-based adaptation of BRAC's graduation approach for Indian contexts. The/Nudge has incubated 100+ nonprofits under its Centre for Social Innovation, claims to have reached 100,000+ households and skilled 22,000+ youth, and states its Indian Administrative Fellowship alone has helped mobilize ₹920 Cr+ in public funds across government departments. The organization rebranded from The Nudge Foundation to The/Nudge Institute in 2021 to signal an institutional rather than charitable identity, and has offices across India plus a US presence in Irving, Texas.
The/Nudge Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The/Nudge Institute
- Legal name
- The Nudge Foundation
- Website
- https://thenudge.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The/Nudge Institute is a Bengaluru-based nonprofit action institute, founded in 2015, that partners with governments, markets, and civil society to build resilient livelihoods for rural women, smallholder farmers, and India's most excluded households across multiple states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The/Nudge Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Poverty Alleviation & Livelihood Development
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance (BPADAEAG), Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)
Keywords
Where The/Nudge Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bengaluru
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
The/Nudge Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grants and Donations: The organization raises funds from philanthropists, foundations, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. Devadas Krishnan was appointed as Chief Development Officer specifically to lead fundraising and partnership development efforts.
- Government Partnerships: Collaborations with central and state governments for implementing livelihood programs, with government co-funding or support for economic inclusion initiatives.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The/Nudge Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The/Nudge Institute is a nonprofit action institute that alleviates poverty in India by building resilient livelihoods through three pillars: direct livelihood programs for rural women, smallholder farmers, and ultra-poor households (Economic Inclusion Program, Asha Kiran, InSight); ecosystem-building programs for social entrepreneurs (Incubator, Accelerator, The/Nudge Prize, Forum/charcha); and government capacity augmentation (Indian Administrative Fellowship). The institute partners with central and state governments, corporate CSR programs, and philanthropic foundations to fund and scale its work.
Product overview
The/Nudge Institute operates as a nonprofit action institute focused on alleviating poverty in India through a multi-pronged approach. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including direct livelihood implementation programs (Economic Inclusion Program, Asha Kiran, InSight) that serve households and communities directly, and ecosystem-building programs (Incubator, Accelerator, Indian Administrative Fellowship, The/Nudge Prize, Forum/charcha) that support social entrepreneurs, government innovation, and sector-wide collaboration. Together, these programs work across the livelihoods value chain from direct implementation to ecosystem development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Centre for Social Innovation (CSI): An enabling ecosystem for social innovation, technology, capital, talent, and policy work.
- The/Nudge Incubator
- The/Nudge Accelerator
- Indian Administrative Fellowship (IAF)
- The/Nudge Prize
- The/Nudge Forum
- Asha Kiran
- Economic Inclusion Program (EIP)
- InSight
Products and services
- Economic Inclusion Program (EIP) A comprehensive program enabling the most excluded households, particularly women in rural India, to achieve economic stability through the graduation approach, providing support including capital, resources, and market access. Implemented in partnership with state governments (e.g., JSLPS in Jharkhand).
- Asha Kiran A sustainable livelihoods program for rural women in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM), promoting backyard poultry and goatery as supplementary income sources, with a goal to reach 1 million women in 5 years.
- InSight A vision correction program addressing presbyopia among rural populations, providing affordable reading glasses through government partnerships and scalable distribution models.
- The/Nudge Incubator A 9-month program supporting early-stage nonprofit entrepreneurs with ₹20 lakhs innovation grant, mentoring, sector connects, and bootcamps to develop solutions for livelihood challenges.
- The/Nudge Accelerator A program for nonprofit entrepreneurs with proven models, offering up to ₹1 crore growth grant, organizational mentoring, and ecosystem connections to scale resilient livelihood programs.
- Indian Administrative Fellowship (IAF) An 18-month full-time fellowship placing senior professionals in state government departments to drive technology-based innovation in public systems and improve service delivery; partnered with Governments of Karnataka and Jharkhand and others.
- The/Nudge Prize Grand challenge competitions mobilizing attention, talent, and capital to solve India's toughest livelihood problems, including Digital Naukri Challenge, Cisco Agri Challenge, and Ashirvad Water Challenge.
- Forum / charcha India's largest livelihoods summit (charcha) bringing together doers, funders, and enablers annually to facilitate dialogues, networking, and collaborative action for transformative change.
- Meta Pragati A program supporting women founders in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem, enabling resilient livelihoods through targeted acceleration and innovation grants.
Companies that use The/Nudge Institute
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The/Nudge Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The/Nudge Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Government of KarnatakacoreState government partnership for Indian Administrative Fellowship and livelihood programs. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has recognized the IAF as a front-runner in public-private collaborations.
- Government of JharkhandcorePartnership with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for IAF program and livelihood initiatives including Economic Inclusion Program through JSLPS.
- NITI AayogcoreAIC NCore, an Atal Incubation Centre under Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India - specifically promoting application of technology to solve development problems.
- Mphasis F1 Foundationcore₹6.5 crore partnership for Digital Naukri Challenge to create digital work opportunities for 1 million women across India.
- LinkedInminorSocial impact partnership for skills and livelihood development.
- Manipal FoundationminorCo-host for Jharkhand Charcha 2025 convening on pathways for inclusive growth.
- INREM FoundationminorCivil society partner in the livelihoods ecosystem.
- KPMGminorPartnership for scaling evidence-based poverty alleviation models through Global COO ESG Advisory (Impact).
- Gender x Digital Hub (LEAD at Krea University)coreCo-developer of Sanmati 2.0 research and action initiative to understand models increasing women's participation in India's digital value chain.
- UPSRLM (Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission)coreState government livelihood mission implementing Asha Kiran program for rural women through backyard poultry and goatery.
- JSLPS (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society)coreGovernment society implementing Economic Inclusion Program in Jharkhand with The/Nudge support.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The/Nudge Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BRAC: Bangladeshi-founded global development organization and originator of the graduation approach to ultra-poverty that The/Nudge has explicitly adapted. Comparable as a poverty-alleviation action institute working through governments and local programs at scale.
- Grameen Foundation: Global poverty organization focused on financial inclusion, livelihoods, and agriculture for the poor. Comparable in combining livelihood programs, government partnerships, and ecosystem-building across multiple geographies.
Direct peers
- PRADAN: Indian nonprofit operating livelihoods programs with rural women and smallholder farmers across multiple states. Closest direct Indian peer in target population, geography, and livelihood-promotion methodology.
- Trickle Up: Global nonprofit pioneering the graduation approach for extremely poor households. Direct methodological peer to The/Nudge's Economic Inclusion Program, with comparable target population and asset-transfer-plus-coaching model.
- GiveIndia: India's largest giving platform and a former sister organization of The/Nudge. Highly comparable as a domestic Indian nonprofit ecosystem builder mobilizing philanthropic capital toward poverty-alleviation causes.
- Catalyst Management Services (now Catalyse): Indian livelihoods-focused consulting and implementation nonprofit working with state governments and SHGs on rural economic inclusion. Closely comparable as an Indian action institute that works through government livelihood missions to serve ultra-poor households.
- Naandi Foundation: Indian action-oriented nonprofit working on livelihoods, education, and skilling with rural and tribal communities. Comparable scale, model (government + market + civil society), and target beneficiaries in India.
- Magic Bus India Foundation: India-based livelihood and skilling nonprofit for youth from poor communities. Comparable in using a graduation-style progression model and partnering with corporate funders for employability outcomes.
Emerging players
- Milaan Foundation: India-based nonprofit working on girl-child empowerment and rural livelihoods. Comparable in targeting rural young women and partnering with grassroots organizations, though at smaller scale than The/Nudge.
Regional players
- EkStep Foundation: Indian non-profit building open-source digital public goods for literacy, livelihoods, and governance. Comparable as a tech-enabled Indian ecosystem builder partnering with government at scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The/Nudge Institute social profiles
Digital presenceThe/Nudge Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The/Nudge Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
The/Nudge Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The/Nudge Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The/Nudge Institute
What does The/Nudge Institute do?
The/Nudge Institute is a nonprofit action institute that alleviates poverty in India by building resilient livelihoods through three pillars: direct livelihood programs for rural women, smallholder farmers, and ultra-poor households (Economic Inclusion Program, Asha Kiran, InSight); ecosystem-building programs for social entrepreneurs (Incubator, Accelerator, The/Nudge Prize, Forum/charcha); and government capacity augmentation (Indian Administrative Fellowship). The institute partners with central and state governments, corporate CSR programs, and philanthropic foundations to fund and scale its work.
Is The/Nudge Institute a public or private company?
The/Nudge Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The/Nudge Institute founded?
The/Nudge Institute was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The/Nudge Institute based?
The/Nudge Institute is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, in the Asia region.
How does The/Nudge Institute make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Partnerships.
Who are The/Nudge Institute's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BRAC and Grameen Foundation. Direct peers are PRADAN, Trickle Up, GiveIndia, Catalyst Management Services (now Catalyse), Naandi Foundation and Magic Bus India Foundation. Milaan Foundation is listed as an emerging player. EkStep Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does The/Nudge Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for The/Nudge Institute.
What industry is The/Nudge Institute in?
The/Nudge Institute's product category is Poverty Alleviation & Livelihood Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAA, Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment, with a secondary code of BPADAEAG, Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.