Who We Are
A grassroots organisation building pathways for women to lead change in their own communities.
Enlightened India Foundation is a registered nonprofit organization founded in 2021, working to improve access to education, skills, and leadership opportunities in rural and underserved communities.
Our work focuses on building community-led education systems that are locally rooted, low-cost, and designed for long-term ownership by the communities themselves
What We Have Built
Since its founding, the Foundation has implemented community-led programs across multiple villages in Himachal Pradesh, engaging children and youth through education support, digital literacy, sports, and leadership development.
Programs are delivered through a combination of community learning spaces and youth-led initiatives, with an emphasis on training local leaders—primarily young women—to independently manage and sustain activities over time.
Our Team
The Foundation is led by a multidisciplinary team responsible for academic direction, strategy, program coordination, and partnerships. It’s leadership team comes from rural and semi-rural backgrounds, bringing lived experience of the contexts in which the programs operate.
Co-Founder | President
Smita Choudhary
Smita Choudhary is the President and Chief Functionary of Enlightened India Foundation, providing strategic leadership across partnerships, advocacy, and organisational growth. With a background in public relations and stakeholder engagement, she brings strong expertise in communication, institutional positioning, and public leadership. Growing up in a rural setting shaped her commitment to advancing education and leadership opportunities for women and underserved communities. She focuses on building sustainable, women-led systems that connect grassroots action with policy, governance, and long-term social impact.
Co-Founder | Director
Shivati Jasrotia
Shivati Jasrotia serves as Director and Treasurer at Enlightened India Foundation, overseeing programme design, learning quality, and academic integrity. With over a decade of experience in education and youth development, she ensures that initiatives remain practical, inclusive, and aligned with community needs. Shivati has played a central role in shaping the Foundation’s learning-gap interventions, digital literacy programmes, and leadership development frameworks. In her governance role, she supports transparent financial systems and accountable organisational practices that strengthen the Foundation’s long-term sustainability.
Project Coordinator
Priyanka
Priyanka is the Project Coordinator at Enlightened India Foundation and one of its earliest grassroots leaders. She began as a youth volunteer and gradually grew into a leadership role, now coordinating programme delivery across communities. With an academic background in Physical Sciences, specialising in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, she brings strong analytical and organisational skills to field implementation. Priyanka works closely with village leaders and youth teams to ensure effective delivery of education, digital literacy, and leadership initiatives.
Co-Founder | Strategic Advisor
Saurabh Choudhary
Saurabh Choudhary is an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) and a former NDA cadet, with a strong background in leadership development and youth engagement. He has worked extensively with community and education-focused initiatives and has volunteered with organizations including Amity Humanity Foundation, Tibet Foundation, Employability Foundation, and the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped. He supports the organization’s long-term vision, partnerships, and governance frameworks, while remaining outside day-to-day operations to ensure independent oversight and strategic continuity.
Our Women-Led Programme Delivery Model
A structured system that places rural women at the heart of leadership and change.
Executive Leadership
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Provides strategic direction, partnerships, and governance oversight to ensure the organisation remains mission-driven and accountable.
Program Coordination
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Translates strategy into action by managing implementation, monitoring quality, and supporting field teams.
Community Women Leaders
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Young women from the villages trained to lead education, sports, and leadership programmes locally.
Youth Activity Facilitators
Children and adolescents who support activities, assist peers, and grow into future community leaders.
Governance & Other Trustees
Enlightened India Foundation is overseen by a Board of Trustees that provides statutory oversight and accountability, ensuring the organization’s activities remain mission-aligned, ethical, and transparent.
Governance
- Smita Choudhary – Chief Functionary
- Shivati Jasrotia – Treasurer
- Saurabh Choudhary – General Secretary
Other Trustees
- Shri Maharaj Singh – Former Chairman of the District Council and Cane Society, Shri Maharaj Singh contributes long-standing experience in rural leadership and farmers’ advocacy, supporting the Foundation’s mission through his insight into grassroots governance and community development.
- Shri Pradeep Singh – Former practicing lawyer at the District Court, providing legal perspective and statutory oversight to the Trust.
- Shweta Soni – NIFT Delhi alumna and entrepreneur, bringing design thinking and grassroots enterprise perspective to the Trust
- Surbhi Singh – TISS alumna with experience in CSR and social sector programs, contributing insight into community development and institutional processes.
Voices from Our Young Learners
Our very first young learners reflect on what they discovered through Enlightened India Foundation.
Reports & Publications
Enlightened India Foundation is committed to transparency, ethical governance, and responsible use of resources. Our annual reports and financial statements are made available to ensure accountability to our communities, partners, and supporters.
Annual Reports & Financial Statements
Completed Community Studies
Between 2023 and 2024, Enlightened India Foundation conducted a series of community-based surveys to understand health, nutrition, and substance-use patterns among children, adolescents, and households in rural Himachal Pradesh.
Key Studies
- Child Nutrition & BMI Survey (105 children, Mohli & Rakkar)
- Household Alcohol & Tobacco Use Survey (50 households)
- Adolescent Substance Use Study (school & college youth)