Railway Children India

What Railway Children India does

Railway Children India (RCI) is a New Delhi-based non-profit organization, registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 (registration U85100DL2013NPL260371), that protects vulnerable children, particularly street-connected and transport-hub children, across India. Founded in 2013 and operating at scale since the late 1990s, RCI runs the appointed key resource agency for Indian Railways on child protection, co-developing Standard Operating Procedures and the child-friendly station model deployed across 17 railway zones and 100+ stations. The organization operates Child Help Desks at railway stations, Child Activity Centres in vulnerable communities, and a Family Reintegration Program. It also runs a two-year Child Protection Fellowship placing young professionals inside district authorities, and a teacher training module with Tech Mahindra Foundation reaching 750+ Delhi MCD school teachers. Geographic footprint spans Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Ghaziabad.

RCI's core capabilities are field-based rather than technology-based: outreach at transport hubs (400+ stations in the Delhi-Howrah corridor alone), case management and family tracing, training of railway officials (46,000+ child protection champions trained, 4,500+ railway officials in the Delhi-Howrah network), and multi-stakeholder coordination with District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees across 34 districts. There is no proprietary software platform; the technology footprint is limited to a website with donation infrastructure in INR, USD, GBP, and EUR, plus standard social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, X).

The business model is charitable donation-driven across three streams: individual donations from Indian residents (presets of ₹1,200, ₹1,800, ₹4,200 one-time and ₹1,000/month recurring), NRI and foreign citizen donations in four currencies enabled by FCRA registration, and corporate CSR partnerships (IKEA, Airbnb, Honda, PVR, Alstom, Tech Mahindra Foundation, IRCTC, Oak Foundation, Global Fund for Children). All donations are 80G tax-exempted. Distribution occurs through field operations at transport hubs, website donation storefronts, and corporate partnership channels. No revenue figures or audited financials are disclosed.

Name

Railway Children India

Legal name

Railway Children India

Website

https://railwaychildren.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Railway Children India is a New Delhi-based non-profit that protects street-connected and transport-hub children through Indian Railways partnerships, child help desks at stations, family reintegration programs, and corporate CSR-funded field operations across multiple Indian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Protection & Welfare Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Check-In/Out & Airline/Station Escort (HSAAAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Transit Accompaniment & Navigation Assistance (HSAAAKAD)

Keywords

• Child protection services
• Transport hub safety
• Family reunification programs
• Street children welfare
• Child safeguarding training

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization raises funds from individual donors in India through one-time and monthly donation options on its website and via direct campaigns. Donors can contribute specific amounts for different interventions such as child reunification, family strengthening, and community prevention programs.
2. NRI & Foreign Donations: Non-Resident Indians and foreign citizens can donate through the website in multiple currencies (INR, USD, GBP, EUR). The organization holds FCRA certification enabling it to receive foreign contributions.
3. Corporate CSR Partnerships: Corporate entities partner with Railway Children India as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Partnerships include financial contributions, employee engagement, and cause marketing collaborations. Notable partners include Tech Mahindra Foundation, Give India, IKEA, Airbnb, IRCTC, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Railway Children India delivers field-based child protection programs centered on transport hubs (railway stations and bus terminals) and vulnerable communities. Its core offerings include Child Help Desks for immediate rescue and safe shelter, the Child-Friendly Railway Stations Program developed jointly with Indian Railways, Child Activity Centres for community-based prevention, Family Reintegration services, Teacher Training on Child Safeguarding, Life Skills Education, and capacity building for government authorities and railway officials. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through donations and corporate CSR contributions.

Product overview

Railway Children India is a non-profit organization (registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013) that offers a portfolio of child protection programs and services rather than a traditional tech product. Their core offerings include Child Help Desks at transport hubs, the Child-Friendly Railway Stations Program developed with Indian Railways, Child Activity Centres (CACs) in communities, Family Reintegration services, Teacher Training on Child Safeguarding, Life Skills Education, and the Delhi-Howrah Network Project. These programs work together to prevent children from falling into street life, reach vulnerable children at transport terminals, and reunite them with families through a multi-stakeholder ecosystem approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Help Desks Safe spaces established at transport hubs where vulnerable children arriving alone can be brought for immediate assistance, trust-building, needs assessment, and determination of next steps for rehabilitation or family reunification.
• Child-Friendly Railway Stations Program Collaborative initiative with Indian Railways to develop Standard Operating Procedures and transform railway stations into child-friendly environments through training of railway staff, establishing protection mechanisms, and creating referral pathways. Rolled out across 17 railway zones and 140+ stations.
• Anand Vihar Bus Terminal Intervention RCI's first bus terminal project focusing on early identification and protection of at-risk children at the Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal in Delhi, including outreach, family tracing, and rehabilitation support. The intervention began full-fledged in November 2022.
• Child Activity Centres (CACs) Safe community spaces where children from vulnerable families can access academic support, sports, life skills sessions, safety and rights discussions, and self-defence training, operated within communities near transport hubs.
• Family Reintegration Program Systematic process for reuniting rescued children with their families including family assessment, facilitating contact, home visits, follow-up support, and Family Camps to rebuild relationships and provide psychological support.
• Child Protection Fellowship Program Two-year fellowship program selecting young people to support district authorities in processing referrals from railways, facilitating child reunification and restoration, and ensuring children remain in nurturing family environments.
• Life Skills Education Program Program implementing World Health Organization-defined life skills for children and adolescents, including adaptive and positive behaviours that enable individuals to deal effectively with demands and challenges of everyday life.
• Delhi-Howrah Network Project Multi-stakeholder convergence model spanning 400 railway stations and 64 major junctions across 5 states and 34 districts, aimed at creating a standardized child-friendly transport network to protect children traversing through India's major rail corridor spanning 1,900 km.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23,000+ children protected at railway stations (cumulative data from 2013)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Indian RailwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRailway Children India is appointed as the key resource agency on child protection for Indian Railways. The partnership includes co-development of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and a guidebook for creating child-friendly and protective environments at railway stations. The organization trains railway staff across 17 zones and 140+ stations to become child protection champions.
• Tech Mahindra FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts child protection and safeguarding sessions for teachers across Delhi MCD schools. Over 750+ teachers trained through in-person sessions tailored to the unique context of Delhi MCD schools. Sessions include practical insights, case studies, and interactive components on child protection.
• Give IndiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnership for fundraising and awareness. Give Grants awarded Railway Children India with a Gold Certification for outcome-driven operations. The partnership supports scale-up across railway stations and communities across India.
• IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to make railway stations child-friendly and support child protection initiatives across the Indian Railways network.
• PVRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for awareness campaigns and child protection messaging.
• BenevityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate giving platform enabling employee donations and matching programs.
• CAF (Charities Aid Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacilitates workplace giving and corporate philanthropy programs.
• APPIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for child protection programs.
• East Central RailwaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the annual Abhinandan felicitation ceremony celebrating railway officials' contributions to child protection. Held on July 28, 2023, honoring 35 outstanding railway officials from each division of ECR.
• PLAN, Prayas, Sarthi, Miracle Foundation, Bal Sakha, UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society organizations collaborating with Railway Children India and Indian Railways to advance early intervention within railway stations for child protection. Attended the Abhinandan 2023 event representing diverse child protection expertise.
• District Child Protection Units (DCPUs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and capacity building partnership with DCPUs across 34 districts in Delhi-Howrah network. Focus on personalized childcare planning, case management, restoration processes, and child safeguarding to better meet needs of children living on streets.
• Child Welfare Committees (CWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with CWC at district level for child protection, case referrals, and family reunification orders. CWC members participate in family reintegration consultations and training programs.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Childline India Foundation: India's national 1098 child helpline operating under Ministry of Women and Child Development. Comparable as a frontline child protection NGO with national reach, referral pathways, and government partnership, though focused on telephonic outreach rather than transport-hub presence.
• Salaam Baalak Trust: Delhi-based NGO providing shelter, education, and rehabilitation to street children. Operates similar child rescue, family reunification, and Child Help Desk-style services at railway stations and urban areas, making it a directly comparable peer in the same Delhi geography and target population.
• Catalysts for Social Action: India-based NGO focused on institutional and non-institutional care for orphaned, abandoned, and vulnerable children. Comparable as a child welfare NGO with family reintegration, rehabilitation, and child protection system strengthening work targeting similar beneficiary populations.
• Child in Need Institute (CINI): West Bengal-based NGO focused on child protection, nutrition, health, and education for vulnerable children. Comparable as an Indian child welfare NGO operating in shared geography (West Bengal) with similar family strengthening and community-based child protection programs.
• Bachpan Bachao Andolan: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi-led movement against child labour, trafficking, and exploitation. Comparable as a major Indian child rights NGO with national advocacy, government engagement, and field operations focused on rescuing and rehabilitating vulnerable children.
• Butterflies NGO: India-based NGO working with street and working children across multiple cities, providing education, health, and protection services. Comparable as a non-profit child welfare organization serving similar beneficiaries with field-based and community-driven models.
• Railway Children (UK/Global Parent): UK-founded international NGO that operates programs for street and station-connected children in India, UK, Tanzania, and elsewhere. Directly comparable to Railway Children India as the originating organization and global parent of the movement, with the same mission and intervention model.

Broad incumbents

• Plan India: Indian arm of Plan International with programs spanning child protection, education, and youth empowerment. Comparable as a major international child rights NGO with CSR partnerships, government collaboration, and a focus on vulnerable children including girls and youth.
• World Vision India: Indian arm of World Vision International operating child sponsorship, child protection, and community development programs. Comparable as a large international NGO with CSR funding, government partnerships, and child protection programs targeting vulnerable communities.
• Save the Children India: Large international NGO with broad child rights and welfare programs across India including education, health, and child protection. Comparable as a major child welfare NGO with CSR partnerships, government engagement, and beneficiary scale, though operating across many child rights issues rather than specializing in transport-hub children.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/RailwayChildInd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RCINGO
• Facebookfacebook.com/RCINGO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/railway-children-india
• Instagraminstagram.com/railwaychildrenindia

Compliance3 records

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 Railway Children India