Avanti Fellows

Avanti Fellows runs 1 checked opportunity for children on WiWit, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

About

Avanti Fellows is an Indian non-profit founded in 2010 by IIT Bombay alumni Akshay Saxena and Krishna Ramkumar. It focuses on supporting high-potential students from low-income and government school backgrounds, helping them prepare for competitive exams like JEE and NEET at no cost. Its model combines peer learning, technology-enabled teaching, mentoring, and college counselling. The organisation runs three main programmes: a self-paced digital platform reaching over 90,000 students annually, live online classes with small-batch teaching and doubt-solving, and Centres of Excellence within schools such as Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, where students receive extensive weekly academic support. Overall, Avanti Fellows has reached more than 70,000 students across 29 states and union territories. It collaborates with state governments and public school systems to integrate its programmes into existing infrastructure. Funding support comes from organisations like USAID, Tata Trusts, and Infosys Foundation, among others. Reported outcomes include strong success rates in admissions to top engineering institutes, increased participation of young women in STEM, and improved performance across partner schools. In 2024, co-founder Akshay Saxena was recognised by the Schwab Foundation as Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

Affiliations

Jawahar Navodaya VidyalayaUSAIDMichael & Susan Dell FoundationTata TrustsInfosys FoundationJ.P. MorganGodrej FoundationKoita FoundationMacArthur FoundationCapgeminiSanjhi SikhiyaPI-RAHIDepartment of School Education, PunjabGenpact

Programs Offered

Entrance Exam Preparation: Comprehensive coaching for competitive exams like JEE and NEET for high school students, especially in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Blended Learning Programs: Combining peer-based learning, technology, and academic mentoring.
Scholarship Initiatives: Support for meritorious girls from underserved backgrounds to pursue undergraduate STEM education, in collaboration with partners like Tata AIG.
Sankalp Program: Partnership with the Government of Haryana to enhance learning for Grades 9-12 through teacher training, ICT equipment, and specialized workbooks.
Ghar Pe School: At-home learning initiative delivered through virtual groups, reaching over 1 million students.
Jacobpura Programme: One-to-one mentoring and guidance for IIT-JEE and board exam preparation in Gurgaon, Haryana.
Government School Strengthening Program: Focus on improving existing school education systems, upskilling teachers, and administration in regions like Haryana and Chennai.
Self-Paced Online Learning: Access to video content, mock tests, and career information for students in partner school systems.
Online Live Classes: 12-hour live classes conducted in small batches for students who cannot attend in-person sessions.
Centres of Excellence: Identifying and placing mission-oriented teachers with high-achieving students nationwide.
Builders for Change Product Fellowship: A 6-month program for programming and design work, shaping learning experiences for government school students.
Gurukul: India's largest free, mobile-first, open-source online test preparation platform for JEE and NEET, offering 5,000+ videos, recorded classes, mock tests, and personalized reports.
STEM Collective: A multi-year program in partnership with the Punjab government to promote science education among girls.

Achievements

Winner of the Stanford BASES Social E-Challenge
Co-founder Akshay Saxena recognized as Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation in 2024
Reached over 70,000 students across 29 states and union territories in India as of 2023
Successfully supported students in gaining admission to prestigious engineering and medical colleges, including IITs and top government medical colleges
26 out of 29 students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Puducherry cleared JEE Advanced in 2020, with one student achieving an All-India Rank of 1562
20 out of 21 students from JNV Puducherry cleared the IIT-JEE (Main) exam in 2018
Received a combined grant of $4.5 million from USAID and philanthropic partners in 2020 to expand blended learning programs across India
Preparation for Entrance Exam program impacted over 10,000 students with 62% qualifying in JEE Nationals
JNV outreach program impacted over 7,500 students across 21 states and 5 Union Territories
Sankalp program reaches over 40,000 students in more than 160 schools in rural Haryana
Ghar Pe School program engaged over 1 million students and 25,000 teachers
Sent over 5,000 students to top-tier engineering and medical colleges, including nearly 1,000 to IITs and IIITs over the last decade
Gurukul platform enrolled over 93,000 students in the 2024-25 academic year, with students spending over 950,000 hours learning and attempting over 380,000 tests

Leadership

Krishna Ramkumar , Co-Founder and CEO (IIT Bombay alumnus)
Akshay Saxena , Co-Founder (IIT Bombay alumnus; 2024 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year)