What Raah Foundation does

Raah Foundation is a private non-profit organisation founded in 2011 by Girish Kulkarni and Dr. Sarika Kulkarni, headquartered in Mumbai with field operations across six districts of the Northern Western Ghats (Palghar, Nashik, Raigad, Ahilyanagar, Pune, and Thane). It implements integrated community development programs in water security, regenerative agroecology, ecological restoration, and circular rural livelihoods, serving tribal and smallholder-farming communities through a community-led model. Flagship initiatives include the One Acre Food Forest (a women-led agroforestry model supported by the Gates Foundation) and the Palghar Water Project (1.5 billion litres conserved across 120+ water-positive villages). Supporting programs include the ReGreen Nation ecological restoration initiative, a skill training program spun off as Raah Next (3,000+ youth annually across 16 locations), the GRT Research Fellowship, and the Centre for Policy Research and Action think tank.

The underlying technology stack is a geospatial monitoring platform combining Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, SRTM and CartoDEM digital elevation models, NDVI and NDWI spectral indices, and Random Forest classification algorithms for land-cover change detection, with 600 acres under real-time satellite monitoring via Blu Sky Analytics. Field operations are organised through community governance institutions, most notably the Malhar Samiti water committees, and supported by knowledge partners such as Acwadam for hydrogeology. Raah Creative Design operates as a social enterprise providing market linkages for tribal textile artisans.

The organisation is funded primarily through philanthropic grants and donations from family-office anchor funding, the Gates Foundation, People for Progress of India, Capital Cares, DBS India, and other corporate donors. A US-based 501(c)(3) entity, Raah Foundation Inc., has been established to mobilise American philanthropic support. No revenue, budget, or financial figures are publicly disclosed. The entity is governed by its founders with an India advisory board and a separate US board, and holds a Great Place to Work certification.

Name

Raah Foundation

Legal name

Raah Foundation

Website

https://raahfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Raah Foundation is a Mumbai-based non-profit founded in 2011 that implements integrated water security, regenerative agriculture, ecological restoration, and circular livelihoods programs for tribal and smallholder farming communities across the Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, funded primarily by philanthropic grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Community Development

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Forestry and Logging (113), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (1132)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Social Services (8300), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Silviculture & Reforestation Services (Nurseries, Planting, Tending) (IMAMAJAC), Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE)

Keywords

• Water security
• Regenerative agriculture
• Ecological restoration
• Rural livelihoods
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations and Grants: Primary funding from family office anchor funding and partnerships with like-minded organizations. Major supporters include Gates Foundation, People for Progress of India, and Capital Cares.
2. Corporate Donors: Corporate donations from entities like DBS India who support water security and community development projects.
3. Raah Foundation Inc. (US-based): U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization mobilizing philanthropic support across the United States for programs in India.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Raah Foundation is a non-profit community-rooted implementation organization delivering integrated programs across water security (farm ponds, check dams, bore wells, recharge structures), regenerative agroecology (SRI rice, millets, food forests, drip irrigation), ecological restoration (native species reforestation, seed banking, fire-line creation), and circular rural economies (textile upcycling and tribal artisan market linkage via Raah Creative Design) for tribal and smallholder farming communities in the Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra.

Product overview

Raah Foundation operates as an integrated community development organization delivering four interconnected core programs: Water Security (farm ponds, check dams, bore wells, recharge structures, Malhar Samitis governance), Agroecology (SRI/SMI cultivation, food forests, drip irrigation, farmer field schools), Ecological Restoration (native species reforestation, satellite monitoring, seed banking), and Circular Economies (textile upcycling through Raah Creative Design). Its flagship initiatives include the One Acre Food Forest (women-led agroforestry) and Palghar Water Project. Supporting programs include ReGreen Nation (carbon sink restoration), Skill Training (youth empowerment), GRT Fellowship (research), and the Centre for Policy Research and Action (advocacy). All programs operate through community-led institutions with a five-year regeneration blueprint approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ReGreen Nation: Ecological restoration program launched in 2020 to breathe life into barren lands and transform them into thriving carbon sinks, creating climate-resilient communities in the Northern Western Ghats.
• One Acre Food Forest
• Malhar Samiti

Products and services

• Water Security Program Portfolio of decentralized water infrastructure solutions selected by hydrogeology and local need, combined with community-led Malhar Samiti governance for fair water use, upkeep, and conflict resolution. Designed for tribal and smallholder farming communities facing water scarcity.
• Agroecology Program Climate-resilient regenerative agriculture program offering diverse cropping systems, soil health improvement, lower external inputs, market linkages, and Farmer Field Schools for small and marginal tribal farmers.
• Ecological Restoration Program Native species reforestation and landscape recovery with sapling plantation, flora and fauna conservation, seed banking, fire-line creation, and satellite monitoring, executed through a five-year regeneration blueprint with community stewardship.
• Circular Economies Program Textile upcycling and tribal artisan empowerment through Raah Creative Design, providing fabric recovery, handloom weaving, and sustainable textile production with structured market linkages for women in Palghar and Raigad districts.
• One Acre Food Forest (1AFF) Flagship women-led one-acre agroforestry model providing fruit trees, timber, and diverse intercrops designed to deliver 20+ years of diversified income, with farm ponds, bio-fertilisers, and technical support customized for tribal women farmers in Palghar, Maharashtra.
• Palghar Water Project Comprehensive water security initiative in tribal talukas of Jawhar and Mokhada delivering 1.5 billion litres of water conservation, 500 million+ litres of groundwater harvesting, and 120+ water-positive villages through decentralized structures and community governance.
• ReGreen Nation Climate action initiative launched in 2020 to transform barren lands into thriving carbon sinks through ecosystem restoration, supported by geospatial technology, satellite monitoring, and community-led protection in the Northern Western Ghats.
• Skill Training Program Skill development initiative launched in 2022 spanning 16 locations, equipping over 3,000 young people annually with skills and opportunities that lead to meaningful employment in tribal areas.
• GRT Fellowship 8-week immersive research fellowship placing young researchers at the intersection of climate, gender, and indigenous knowledge, with a focus on the lived experiences of indigenous women in the Northern Western Ghats.
• Centre for Policy Research and Action Civil-society think tank developing thematic position papers, conducting webinars, and engaging with government systems to inform regional public policy in the Northern Western Ghats.
• Raah Creative Design Market-facing social enterprise of Raah Foundation connecting tribal artisans from Palghar and Raigad districts with buyers for handcrafted textile products, providing long-term market linkages for women-led production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.57 billion litres water storage capacity created through 450+ structures
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• MHADAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MOU signed with MHADA to plant 15,000 saplings across Nimon and Daregaon in Nashik district, working to heal the land, bring back green cover, and leave shade for next generation.
• Blu Sky AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvides satellite monitoring technology for 600 acres under real-time tracking, improving response time to threats in ecological restoration and water conservation areas.
• AcwadamsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge partner for hydrogeology assessment, conducting thorough assessment to map aquifers and develop detailed plans for water supply-side harvesting infrastructure.
• Forest Department (Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU with Forest Department for community-led restoration in buffer and core areas of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, linking ecological work with secure forest rights and diversified livelihoods based on sustainable non-timber forest product use.
• College of Social WorksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth volunteers from College of Social Work support community engagement in forest rights process, helping gather people and providing emotional anchors for community consultations.
• Gram PanchayatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix Gram Panchayats in Parner block partnered for water body rejuvenation, creating 380 million liters of local water storage and strengthening year-round water security.

Scale indicators26 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Barefoot College: India-based NGO focused on rural empowerment through skill training, water, and solar; comparable to Raah's Skill Training program and integrated rural development approach.
• Navdanya: India-based organization focused on seed sovereignty, biodiversity, and regenerative agriculture; comparable as a non-profit working on ecological restoration and agroecology with rural communities.
• Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): India-based NGO implementing integrated watershed development and climate-resilient agriculture across rain-shadow regions; directly comparable to Raah's water-agroecology-community governance model in Maharashtra.
• BAIF Development Research Foundation: Large Indian development foundation focused on livestock, agriculture, and watershed programs with rural communities; operates multi-state integrated rural development programs comparable to Raah's systems approach.
• S M Sehgal Foundation: India-based rural development NGO working on water management, agriculture, and community empowerment across multiple states; directly comparable portfolio of integrated community programs.
• Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India): Implements water security, natural resource management, and rural livelihoods in Gujarat and other Indian states; directly comparable integrated community-led development model.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Trusts: One of India's largest philanthropic organizations funding water, agriculture, and rural development at far greater scale; comparable portfolio and presence in Maharashtra rural development.
• Ambuja Foundation: Corporate foundation implementing integrated rural development including water, agriculture, and livelihoods across rural India; comparable in integrated rural development approach and presence in Maharashtra.
• Hindustan Unilever Foundation: Corporate foundation funding large-scale water conservation programs in India through NGO partners; comparable through water-securing agenda in rural Maharashtra.
• WaterAid India: International non-profit implementing water and sanitation programs across India; comparable through water security focus and community-led governance of water resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raahfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raah Foundation