Harish & Bina Shah Foundation Commits ₹100 Crores to Educate Girls to Advance Girls’ Education in India

Mumbai, August 28, 2025: The Harish & Bina Shah Foundation (HBSF) has renewed its partnership with non-profit organisation Educate Girls through an unrestricted grant of ₹100 crores over five years. The support will back the Educate Girls’ Vidya program, aimed at in-school girls aged 6–14, and Pragati, a second-chance program for adolescent girls and young women aged 15–29, as part of the organisation’s Strategy 3.0.

The initiative is expected to support over 3.1 million learners by combining last-mile enrolment with system strengthening, with the long-term goal of reaching 10 million learners over the next decade.

HBSF has been a catalytic partner for the Educate Girls’ Pragati program since 2023–24, contributing to program design, outreach expansion, and technical assistance for state open school processes. With this renewed commitment, HBSF becomes a domestic anchor donor for Educate Girls’ Strategy 3.0.

Bina Shah, Executive Director, HBSF, said, “It is difficult to influence mindsets and create pathways for girls and women in general, let alone with a focus on difficult geographies. At HBSF, we admire the courage and commitment that Educate Girls has shown in navigating complex societal issues with a focus on ground realities and strong systems & processes. By taking this partnership forward, we hope that our support adds to the value of investing in long-term change and brings to the forefront the significant lack of access and opportunities faced by millions of girls in India today.”

Highlighting the impact of the grant, Gayatri Nair Lobo, CEO, Educate Girls, said, “The unrestricted nature of this grant gives us the flexibility to truly strengthen both our Vidya and Pragati programs over the next five years. With Vidya, we will continue ensuring out-of-school girls aged 6–14 are enrolled, retained, and supported to build strong foundations of literacy and numeracy in some of India’s hardest-to-reach communities. At the same time, Pragati will expand across high-need states, partnering with state governments and Open School systems and creating pathways for adolescent girls and young women to complete their secondary education and access future opportunities. Taken together, this support allows us to continue partnering with state governments and grassroots organisations to bring education to millions of girls in remote, rural regions.”

Since its inception, Educate Girls has worked across 30,000 villages with the support of more than 55,000 community volunteers, enrolling over 2 million girls and supporting 2.4 million children in remedial learning. With Strategy 3.0 (2025–30), the organisation aims to drive systemic change in collaboration with state governments while ensuring access for the most at-risk girls and women.

This renewed partnership between HBSF and Educate Girls highlights how long-term philanthropy can transform systems and accelerate progress towards ensuring that no girl is left behind in education.