Project Potential

What Project Potential does

Project Potential Trust is a registered charitable trust (Indian Trust Act of 1882) founded on 22 August 2014 by Zubin Sharma (Yale MPP, UPenn MS) and Abodh Kumar, operating from a 15-acre eArthshala campus in Kishanganj district, Bihar. The organization runs four interconnected program verticals targeting rural youth in some of India's poorest districts: eArth Yuva Vikas (youth leadership development, including the Rural India Youth Leadership program and the School of Programming residential software engineering program for 100 young women in partnership with NavGurukul), eArth Kala Manch (entertainment-education through 301 street theatre performances and Theatre in Education), eArth Swasthya (community health including PMJAY Ayushman Bharat card facilitation, immunization, TB screening with Innovators in Health, and COVID-19 vaccination support), and eArth Nirmaan (sustainable construction showcase using adobe, bamboo, and passive solar design). Across programs, the organization reports 614 youths trained, 915 villages reached, 17,000+ Ayushman Bharat cards facilitated, and over 7.57 lakh people reached.

The organization's underlying methodology is community-led grassroots mobilization: Village Visionaries and local volunteers run peer youth clubs across 20+ panchayats; field teams deliver services directly; and eArthshala serves as the physical convening hub for residential training, ecosystem workshops, and stakeholder events. Funded entirely through philanthropic donations and grants, the organization reports support from N.R. Narayana Murthy, Sudha Murthy, S.D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, Infosys Foundation, Azim Premji Foundation, Ashraya Hastha Trust, and Lal Family Foundation. It holds 12A tax exemption and CSR Certificate CSR00006358, qualifying it for corporate CSR flows. Marketing is exclusively organic and earned — TEDx talks, social media, partner referrals, and press coverage — with no paid acquisition. All programs are delivered free of cost to beneficiaries.

Name

Project Potential

Legal name

Project Potential Trust

Website

https://projectpotential.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project Potential Trust is a Bihar-based charitable organization running youth leadership, software skilling, community health, and sustainable construction programs for rural youth across five districts from its 15-acre eArthshala campus in Kishanganj.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Youth Leadership and Community Development Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE), Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Rural youth leadership
• Community health programs
• Youth skill development
• Sustainable rural development
• Community mobilization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kishanganj

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations and Grants: Project Potential is a registered charitable trust (Project Potential Trust formed under the Indian Trust Act of 1882) that relies on donations and grants from individuals and institutions. Has 12A tax registration for donor tax exemptions. Supports include individual philanthropists (N.R. Narayana Murthy, S.D. Shibulal, Sudha Murthy, Luis Miranda, and others) and institutional donors/foundations (Infosys Foundation, Azim Premji Foundation, Ashraya Hastha Trust, Lal Family Foundation, Book a Smile).
2. Event Hosting at eArthshala: eArthshala campus hosts events, workshops, and residential programs for external organizations and groups, generating fee-for-service revenue for hosting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Project Potential is a non-profit trust that mobilizes and counsels rural youth in Bihar on career pathways, connects them to skilling/apprenticeship/job opportunities, and runs a skilling ecosystem in India's poorest districts. Its four program streams are eArth Yuva Vikas (youth leadership development), eArth Kala Manch (entertainment-based community awareness), eArth Swasthya (community health access including immunization, Ayushman Bharat, TB and COVID-19 response), and eArth Nirmaan (sustainable construction). All programs are delivered free to beneficiaries through the 15-acre eArthshala campus and field operations across 5 districts of Bihar, funded by philanthropic donations and grants.

Product overview

Project Potential operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected youth empowerment and rural development programs. The core programs include: eArth Yuva Vikas (youth leadership development with sub-programs like RIYL and School of Programming), eArth Kala Manch (entertainment-based awareness), eArth Swasthya (community health access), and eArth Nirmaan (sustainable architecture). These programs are supported by eArthshala, a 15-acre residential campus that serves as the physical hub for training, skill development, and community convening. The programs work together to enable intergenerational social mobility for youth in India's poorest districts through leadership development, healthcare access, awareness building, and sustainable development initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eArthshala: A 15-acre campus owned and operated by Project Potential Trust, serving as a space for leadership in sustainable development and grassroots leadership training.

Products and services

• eArth Yuva Vikas A youth-led and youth-focused leadership development program that empowers rural Bihar youth with the knowledge, skills, and resources to lead and tackle community challenges; encompasses the two-year RIYL program (engaging 25 young leaders across 20+ panchayats), the 21-month residential School of Programming (SoP) for young women in partnership with NavGurukul (capacity 100 students), and job exposure/placement support.
• eArth Kala Manch An entertainment-based awareness program that uses street theatre (Nukkad Natak), Theatre in Education, and open-air Gram Cinema screenings to raise community awareness on pressing social issues including malnutrition, unemployment, education, and women's empowerment; targets rural community audiences across Project Potential's working districts in Bihar.
• eArth Swasthya A community health program addressing healthcare accessibility and emergency needs for rural Bihar communities. Activities include PMJAY Ayushman Bharat card facilitation (17,000+ cards facilitated in 12 panchayats across 3 blocks), routine immunization drives, COVID-19 vaccination awareness and camps (supporting vaccination of 2.3 lakh+ people across 600 villages), TB screening and treatment linkage to Nikshay Poshan Yojana in partnership with Innovators in Health, and monthly ration relief during pandemic and flood emergencies (25,000+ recipients).
• eArth Nirmaan A sustainable construction program showcasing environmentally and socially responsible building practices at eArthshala, focusing on passive solar design, regenerative methodologies, natural materials (adobe bricks made by local women, treated bamboo load-bearing frames, natural plasters), zero-waste operations, groundwater recharge, and local skill training; demonstrates regenerative architecture and trains local artisans including the Karigar Niwas (Mud Cottages).
• eArthshala Campus A 15-acre eco-aligned residential campus in Kishanganj serving as a space for grassroots leadership, sustainable development, and rural-urban collaboration. Facilities include a 470 sqm Training Hall (capacity 100-150, funded by Infosys Foundation), a 250 sqm Rural Innovation Studio with 22 desk spaces and a covered terrace for 40-50 (funded by Ashraya Hastha Trust), and Mud Cottages (Karigar Niwas); hosts residential workshops, exposure journeys, and events for external organizations on a fee basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 614 youths trained; 915 villages reached; 7,57,474 people reached across Bihar
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NavGurukulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNavGurukul is the primary implementation partner for the School of Programming (SoP), a 21-month residential software engineering program for young women from rural Bihar. Project Potential facilitates enrollment and student support while NavGurukul provides the software engineering curriculum, faculty, and placement support. Students learn CSS, JavaScript, and Python with the goal of landing tech jobs at leading companies.
• Innovators in Health (IIH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Tuberculosis (TB) project aimed at reducing TB-related morbidity and mortality in Kishanganj district. The project connects TB patients to Nikshay Poshan Yojana government benefits through mobilization, home screening, sputum sample collection, testing (microscopy, x-ray, CBNAAT), and treatment support. Project Potential handles on-ground mobilization while IIH provides technical TB expertise.
• Azim Premji UniversityminorOthersAcademic institution where Co-founder Abodh Kumar completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership Development. The university may also provide knowledge resources and fellowship opportunities relevant to the sector.
• Youth AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Alliance CEO Shashank Kalra hosted Project Potential youth Madhu and Aakriti at Gramya Manthan 2022, providing exposure and platform for grassroots youth leaders to engage with the broader development ecosystem.
• American India Foundation (AIF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIF placed fellows (including Tonmoy as AIF Clinton Fellow) with Project Potential. Fellows contribute to public health projects, communications, and organizational capacity building.
• ThumbImpressions (Architectural Partner)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural firm from Ahmedabad that collaborated on the eArthshala campus design, including the Training Hall and Rural Innovation Studio, incorporating passive solar design, sustainable materials, and regenerative methodologies.
• Strucart Design ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStructural engineering consultancy from Ahmedabad providing structural design for eArthshala campus buildings.
• Airtech Consultancy ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsultancy from Kolkata providing electrical and plumbing design for eArthshala sustainable infrastructure.
• Hunnarshala FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInducted Master Trainer Narayan ji into sustainable building techniques through rehabilitation work following the 2008 River Kosi flood disaster. Contributed expertise in sustainable construction that informed eArthshala building practices.
• Public Health Centre (PHC), Thakurganj BlockcoreOthersGovernment Primary Health Centre in Thakurganj block collaborates with Project Potential on routine immunization drives (mobilizing 543 children and 90 pregnant mothers), COVID-19 vaccination campaigns (data entry support for 22,000+ records), and health access programs.
• Government Health System (Nikshay Poshan Yojana)coreOthersProject Potential connects TB patients to the government's Nikshay Poshan Yojana scheme, which provides nutritional support to TB patients. The organization serves as a bridge between beneficiaries and government health schemes including PMJAY.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Jan Sahas Foundation: Indian social sector organization focused on women's empowerment, migrant worker rights, and rural livelihoods; comparable to Project Potential's youth empowerment and Bihar field operations (current Project Potential staff previously worked there).
• Haqdarshak: Facilitates access to government welfare schemes for underserved households; Project Potential's Ayushman Bharat facilitation and government scheme work closely mirrors Haqdarshak's model (a former Project Potential manager also came from Haqdarshak).
• NavGurukul: Runs residential software engineering programs for underserved Indian youth; Project Potential's School of Programming is co-delivered with NavGurukul, making it both a partner and a direct peer in the rural-to-tech skilling model.
• Mantra4Change: Bihar and Karnataka-based education systems NGO working with government schools; shares Project Potential's Bihar footprint and grassroots education focus, with overlapping alumni on the team.
• Innovators in Health: Operates community-led TB programs in rural Bihar, including Kishanganj; co-implements Project Potential's TB screening and treatment program and shares the rural Bihar community health footprint.
• Teach For India: Places young leaders in low-income classrooms across India to drive educational equity; comparable to Project Potential's RIYL youth leadership development model and shares a similar fellowship-style youth mobilization approach.

Broad incumbents

• Pratham: One of India's largest education NGOs focused on literacy and learning outcomes; both Project Potential and Pratham run village-level youth volunteer/fellow programs across India's poorest districts and share overlapping Bihar geography (Zubin first engaged with Pratham as a volunteer).
• Piramal Foundation: Large Indian philanthropic foundation with deep Bihar and rural health/education programs; former Project Potential program staff came from Piramal Foundation and the funding/operating model is comparable.
• Azim Premji Foundation: Major Indian philanthropy funding rural education and skilling programs across India; both an institutional donor to Project Potential and a peer in the Bihar rural education ecosystem (Abodh Kumar is an alumnus of its university).
• Smile Foundation: Pan-India NGO running health, education, and livelihood programs for underprivileged communities; comparable to Project Potential's integrated youth + health + community portfolio, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@projectpotential1009
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepowertodo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-potential
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectpotential

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Project Potential