The Kashi Foundation, formally established in 2019, originated from an informal collective of scholars, practitioners, and socially committed entrepreneurs formed in 2013. It has since evolved into a multidisciplinary think tank addressing India’s developmental challenges through culturally rooted, knowledge-based, and technologically enabled approaches. The Foundation is inspired by the belief that Kashi, as an ancient civilizational centre, embodies India’s intellectual and cultural ethos. This heritage informs its efforts to develop indigenous policy models that merge traditional wisdom with contemporary innovations.

The Foundation undertakes a wide range of activities. It promotes the preservation of India’s indigenous knowledge systems, sacred geographies, and religious heritage, with an emphasis on sustainable cultural tourism. It conducts evidence-based assessments of governmental and non-governmental development programmes and prepares policy-relevant impact reports. It also evaluates ongoing projects and prototypes initiated by NGOs, analysing their design, implementation, and community-level outcomes to enhance their effectiveness and scalability.

Through participatory research and outreach, the Foundation supports grassroots development, focusing on capacity-building and local governance. It also designs institutional frameworks aimed at public sector innovation and knowledge-driven social transformation. These interventions are grounded in interdisciplinary research and stakeholder collaboration.

Broadly, the Kashi Foundation functions as a platform for cultural preservation, development research, policy dialogue, and social innovation. It critically engages with government institutions, civil society, and academia to promote inclusive, effective, and context-sensitive policies. In aligning with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Foundation seeks to contribute meaningfully to building a self-reliant, equitable, and culturally conscious India.