Agastya International Foundation

Agastya International Foundation is a nonprofit that makes science and creative learning come alive for children from underserved communities across India. It believes that curiosity, creativity and confidence should not be the privilege of a few, so it brings hands-on, experiential learning to government school children and their teachers, filling gaps that textbooks and rote learning often leave behind.

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From its 172-acre Campus Creativity Lab in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, often called the world's largest creativity laboratory, to mobile labs and bikes that reach remote villages, Agastya turns learning into an experience. Its vision is to build a new world of tinkerers, creators, innovators and solution-seekers who are humane, anchored and connected.

Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Major Areas of Work

• STEM+ Education: Bringing hands-on science, technology, engineering and maths learning to underserved children through STEM centres, mobile labs and Lab-on-a-Bike programmes.

• Innovation: Introducing children to design thinking and problem-solving through innovation hubs, mobile innovation labs and Innovation-on-Bike.

• Art and Media: Encouraging creativity and self-expression through photography, painting, music and media arts.

• Digital Learning: Building digital skills in robotics, drones, IoT, electronics, programming, AI and virtual reality through Digi-Kshetra and digital learning programmes.

• Teacher Development: Training government school teachers in hands-on, activity-based teaching methods so curiosity reaches every classroom.

Major Initiatives & Programmes

• Campus Creativity Lab: A 172-acre ecological campus in Kuppam with 20+ labs where children learn science, innovation, art and ecology by doing.

• Mobile STEM Labs and Lab-on-a-Bike: Labs on wheels that carry science models and experiments directly to schools in rural and remote areas.

• Young Instructor Leader (YIL): Trains students to become peer teachers who lead science sessions for other children, building their confidence and leadership.

• Operation Vasantha: Night village schools that bring learning to children in their own communities after school hours.

• Teacher Transformation Program: Helps teachers bring more curiosity, creativity and experiential learning into their classrooms.

• Anveshana and Jignyasa: Science fairs and innovation programmes where students build and present their own projects.

• Agastya Virtual School and wE-Learn App: Digital platforms that bring real-life examples and gamified self-learning to students anywhere.

• Education Leaders Conclave: An annual gathering of school leaders and educators to explore the future of learning, including responsible use of AI in education.

Impact

Agastya has reached over 41 million children and more than 3,50,000 teachers across 24 Indian states, with its impact team tracking data from over 100,000 participants every year. Its programmes are designed to be scalable and replicable, growing through partnerships with governments, corporates and philanthropists, including CSR partners like the Hyundai Motor India Foundation. Children who take part in Agastya's programmes often describe moving from silence in the classroom to asking questions, building models and presenting their ideas with confidence. Looking ahead, Agastya aims to reach 100 million underserved children and 1 million teachers by 2032.

Leadership

Founder and Chairperson – Rama Prasad (Ramji) Raghavan

Co-Founder and Managing Trustee – Mahavir Kumar

Executive Vice-Chairman – K Thiagarajan

Executive Director, Operations – Sai Chandrasekhar

Executive Director, Partner Relations – Hariharan Ganesan

Chief Technology Officer – Sastry Adiraju

Agastya International Foundation is an excellent fit for professionals passionate about STEM education, experiential learning, teacher training, innovation and creativity who want to spark curiosity and confidence in children from underserved communities across India.