Where Are India's Children
Where Are India's Children (WAIC) is a Pune-based nonprofit that uses its proprietary CLMS platform, district-level fieldwork, and policy advocacy to digitize Child Care Institution records and move eligible children into India's legal adoption pool across Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersPune, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Where Are India's Children does
Where Are India's Children (WAIC), registered as the Child Welfare and Action Foundation (CIN U85300PN2019NPL185171), is a Pune-headquartered nonprofit founded in July 2019 by three adoptive mothers to address the systemic gap between an estimated 350,000–400,000 children housed in India's Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and only ~2,100 children in the legal adoption pool, while over 34,000 prospective adoptive parents remain on waiting lists. WAIC's operating model combines technology-enabled fieldwork, large-scale training of government stakeholders, and policy advocacy, organized as a "Digitise, Sensitise, Advocate" three-pronged approach.
WAIC's central technology asset is the Child Lifecycle Management Solution (CLMS), a home-grown proprietary platform used to digitize records of children in CCIs, flag eligible children for adoption, and integrate with State and District Women and Child Development (WCD) departments to process cases into the legal adoption pool. To date, the platform has digitized 24,000+ children's records across 970 CCIs spanning 90 districts in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka, with outcomes including 400 children declared legally free for adoption on the CARINGS Portal and 200 adopted or reserved for inter-country adoption. Adjacent services include training programs targeted at 30,000+ district WCD authorities and CCIs, policy research and advocacy, and pre-adoption parent-preparation sessions.
WAIC is funded entirely through donations — eligible for Section 80G tax exemption in India and 501(c)(3) deductions for US donors — with key financial backers including the Azim Premji Foundation and Dasra, and minor supporters including NCSI Pune, Tarachand Ramath Sevi Trust, and ShipConsole. The disclosed fundraising goal for FY 2026–2027 is ₹2,00,00,000 (INR Two Crores), with an explicit allocation of 76% to fieldwork across 99+ districts, 4% to technology and equipment, 1% to capacity building, and 19% to compliance and operations. There is no commercial pricing; the organization is governed by a Board of Advisors that includes a Rittenhouse Ventures partner, the head of NCL Innovations at CSIR-NCL, and a former IT-industry CEO.
Where Are India's Children firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Where Are India's Children
- Legal name
- Child Welfare and Action Foundation
- Website
- https://waic.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Where Are India's Children (WAIC) is a Pune-based nonprofit that uses its proprietary CLMS platform, district-level fieldwork, and policy advocacy to digitize Child Care Institution records and move eligible children into India's legal adoption pool across Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Are India's Children industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Child Welfare and Adoption Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)
Keywords
Where Where Are India's Children is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pune
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Where Are India's Children business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: WAIC operates as a nonprofit NGO (registered as Child Welfare and Action Foundation) funded entirely through donations from individuals and organizations. Donations are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80G in India and under 501c(3) in the US. The organization runs annual fundraising campaigns with explicit goals (e.g., ₹2,00,00,000 for FY 2026-2027). Donations are allocated across fieldwork (76%), technology and equipment (4%), capacity building (1%), and compliance and operations (19%).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation-based model — no tiers, freely configurable donations from donors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Where Are India's Children product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Where Are India's Children (WAIC) is a non-profit organization that uses proprietary technology (Child Lifecycle Management Solution / CLMS), on-the-ground fieldwork, training, and advocacy to digitize records of children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) across India. Working directly with State and District Women and Child Development (WCD) departments, WAIC flags eligible children for adoption and processes their cases to move them into the legal adoption pool. The organization also trains 30,000+ district WCD authorities and CCIs, conducts parent preparation sessions for prospective adoptive parents, and advocates for policy reform in India's child welfare and adoption system.
Product overview
Where Are India's Children operates as a single-focus nonprofit organization rather than a traditional product company. The core offering is the Child Lifecycle Management Solution (CLMS), a proprietary technology platform that digitizes records of children in shelters and flags those eligible for adoption, integrated with government WCD systems. Supporting services include training programs for government stakeholders, policy advocacy, and parent preparation sessions. The organization does not offer a modular software portfolio but rather delivers a technology-enabled social impact program combining its CLMS platform with fieldwork, training, and advocacy services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Child Lifecycle Management Solution (CLMS) A proprietary, home-grown technology platform used to digitize records of children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), flag eligible children for adoption, and support State and District WCD Departments in processing cases to move children into India's legal adoption pool.
- Training and Sensitization Programs Training programs designed to sensitize and educate over 30,000 district WCD authorities, Child Welfare Committees, and child care institutions on adoption processes, JJ Act compliance, and bringing children into the legal adoption pool.
- Research and Advocacy Policy reform and public awareness initiatives that support government authorities in creating clearer guidelines governing adoption mechanisms through research, representation, and public awareness campaigns.
- Parent Preparation Sessions Pre-adoption counselling and preparation sessions for prospective adoptive parents, including guidance on adoption processes and older child adoption.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24,000+ children's records digitized and made visible to authorities
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Where Are India's Children
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Where Are India's Children technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Where Are India's Children partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- DasramajorDasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation in India, is listed as a supporter/partner of WAIC. Dasra supports high-impact NGOs working on social causes and provides strategic guidance and funding to amplify organizational impact.
- NCSI - Pune International CentreminorListed as a partner/supporter of WAIC. NCSI (Pune International Centre) is a think tank and policy research organization that likely supports WAIC's research and advocacy efforts.
- Maharashtra WCD DepartmentcoreWAIC works directly with the Women and Child Development department in Maharashtra to deploy CLMS, digitize child records, and process eligible children into the legal adoption pool. Maharashtra is one of the three states where WAIC has active field operations.
- Telangana WCD DepartmentcoreTelangana WCD is a key government partner. WAIC's intervention with Telangana CWC (Medchal-Malkajgiri) has resulted in ~100 children being included in the legal adoption pool. WAIC's goal is for Telangana to become a model state in adoption. The partnership includes training, process streamlining, and CLMS deployment.
- Karnataka WCD DepartmentcoreWAIC is expanding its operations in Karnataka in partnership with the state's WCD department. Field teams and a dedicated Project Manager for Karnataka are deployed to conduct fieldwork similar to Maharashtra and Telangana.
- CWC Medchal-Malkajgiri, TelanganacoreChild Welfare Committee (CWC) of Medchal-Malkajgiri district, Telangana, is a key government partner. WAIC supported the CWC with training and CLMS technology, resulting in ~100+ children entering the legal adoption pool. CWC chairperson Mr. Raja Reddy has provided a testimonial endorsing WAIC's work.
- Directorate of Child ProtectioncoreListed as a collaborator on WAIC's About Us page. The Directorate of Child Protection is a government body with authority over child welfare and protection matters, and is a key institutional partner for WAIC's advocacy and policy change efforts.
- UNICEF (via UNICEF Consultant to WCD Telangana)majorMr. Rakesh Reddy, UNICEF Consultant to WCD Telangana, has endorsed WAIC's work in Telangana, stating that WAIC has greatly improved the adoption ecosystem by supporting government homes with training, streamlining processes, and providing CLMS. This indicates a collaborative relationship between WAIC and UNICEF's child protection work in India.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Where Are India's Children competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Childline India Foundation: Operates India's 1098 child helpline; an NGO-government hybrid delivering nationwide child protection services. Directly comparable in working at the intersection of state child welfare systems and front-line service delivery.
- SOS Children's Villages India: Provides alternative family-based care for orphaned and abandoned children in India. Most comparable on mission (children without parental care) and operational model (NGO delivering welfare services at scale across Indian states).
- Bachpan Bachao Andolan: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi's child rights movement tackling child labor, trafficking, and exploitation. Comparable advocacy-driven NGO model with strong policy influence and government engagement on child protection.
Others
- GiveIndia Foundation: Largest Indian donation platform that intermediary-funds charitable organizations. Comparable only at the ecosystem level — WAIC is itself registered on GiveIndia's giving platforms and operates in the same donation-driven non-profit space.
- Dasra: Strategic philanthropy foundation that supports high-impact NGOs with funding, capacity building, and research. Comparable as one of WAIC's major supporters and as an ecosystem enabler of social-sector organizations.
Broad incumbents
- Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children India): Large international NGO working on child welfare, education, and protection across India. Comparable as a multi-state, high-budget child welfare operator but with a much broader programmatic scope than adoption-focused WAIC.
- UNICEF India: United Nations body working on child welfare in India, including technical advising to WCD departments. Comparable in mission scale and engagement with state-level child protection bodies; an endorsement has already come from a UNICEF consultant to Telangana WCD.
Emerging players
- Magic Bus India Foundation: Tech-enabled youth development NGO operating community programs for underprivileged children. Comparable as a mid-sized NGO combining proprietary program methodology, donor-backed scale, and last-mile delivery in Indian states.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Where Are India's Children social profiles
Digital presenceWhere Are India's Children compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Where Are India's Children financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Where Are India's Children leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Where Are India's Children funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Where Are India's Children 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 Where Are India's Children
What does Where Are India's Children do?
Where Are India's Children (WAIC) is a non-profit organization that uses proprietary technology (Child Lifecycle Management Solution / CLMS), on-the-ground fieldwork, training, and advocacy to digitize records of children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) across India. Working directly with State and District Women and Child Development (WCD) departments, WAIC flags eligible children for adoption and processes their cases to move them into the legal adoption pool. The organization also trains 30,000+ district WCD authorities and CCIs, conducts parent preparation sessions for prospective adoptive parents, and advocates for policy reform in India's child welfare and adoption system.
Is Where Are India's Children a public or private company?
Where Are India's Children is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Where Are India's Children founded?
Where Are India's Children was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Where Are India's Children based?
Where Are India's Children is headquartered in Pune, India, in the Asia region.
How does Where Are India's Children make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Where Are India's Children's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Childline India Foundation, SOS Children's Villages India and Bachpan Bachao Andolan. Others are GiveIndia Foundation and Dasra. Broad incumbents are Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children India) and UNICEF India. Magic Bus India Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Where Are India's Children have an API?
No public API is recorded for Where Are India's Children.
What industry is Where Are India's Children in?
Where Are India's Children's product category is Nonprofit Child Welfare and Adoption Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAE, Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services, with a secondary code of BPAGABAG, Child Protection & Child Rights. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.