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Charities in India

GiveRadar tracks 14,546 NGOs and charities in India, built mainly from the FCRA register the Ministry of Home Affairs keeps under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010. An FCRA certificate clears an organization to receive foreign contributions; it is not charity incorporation, tax-exempt status or a quality rating, so these are FCRA-registered NGOs rather than vetted charities, and they are a subset of all Indian NGOs.

14,544
Registered NGOs
99.7%
FCRA registration number on file
Education
Largest cause area
1 per 100,651
Residents per organization
Matt Timmermans Reviewed by Matt Timmermans Founder of GiveRadar · Checked August 23, 2026
Where this data comes from  ·  How current it is
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All organizations in India

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The register at a glance

How many NGOs and charities are there in India?

GiveRadar tracks 14,546 NGOs and charities in India, drawn mainly from the FCRA register kept by the Ministry of Home Affairs. 14,500 of them (99.7%) carry an FCRA registration number, and the average integrity assessment across Indian rows is 30.0 out of 100.

Whole-register totals
14,544 Registered NGOs
99.7% Carry a FCRA registration number 14,500 of them
1 per 100,651 Residents per organization Against a population of 1,463,865,525 (World Bank, 2025)
30.0/100 Average integrity assessment A measure of disclosure, not impact or effectiveness

GiveRadar holds a website for just 89 Indian NGOs (0.6%) and an email for 62 (0.4%), because the FCRA register records that an organization is cleared to receive foreign funds and where it is based, not how to reach it or how it spends money. The register was built to regulate foreign funding, not to hold what a donor looks for. The average integrity assessment for Indian rows, 30.0 out of 100, is a direct read of that gap in published detail, not a judgment on any single organization.

By category

What causes do India's NGOs and charities support?

Education is the largest cause category among the Indian NGOs GiveRadar tracks, with 6,913 organizations, followed by religion at 3,734 and social services at 3,479. The spread is narrow because the FCRA register records a broad activity field rather than a detailed mission, so most rows fall into a few large buckets.

01 Education 6,913 48% 02 Religion 3,732 26% 03 Social Services 3,473 24% 04 Community Development 209 1% 05 Arts & Culture 170 1%
Location of nonprofits in India

Where in India are its NGOs and charities based?

GiveRadar places 14,523 of the 14,546 Indian NGOs (99.8%) in a state or union territory, from the address on the FCRA register. Tamil Nadu holds the most at 2,105, followed by Maharashtra at 1,593, Karnataka at 1,371, Delhi at 1,239, Andhra Pradesh at 1,018, Kerala at 1,011 and Gujarat at 980.

Organization density
Each state shaded by registered NGOs. Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Top cities

New Delhi has the most registered NGOs on GiveRadar, 829, ahead of Bengaluru at 741, Mumbai at 648, Chennai at 538, Kolkata at 374 and Hyderabad at 287. These follow the address on the FCRA register and are not adjusted for the size of the local population.

01 New Delhi 829 organizations 02 Bengaluru 740 organizations 03 Mumbai 648 organizations 04 Chennai 538 organizations 05 Kolkata 373 organizations 06 Hyderabad 287 organizations 07 Pune 249 organizations 08 Delhi 237 organizations 09 Ahmedabad 201 organizations 10 Madurai 134 organizations

NGOs by state

Tamil Nadu 2,105 14.5% Maharashtra 1,593 11% Karnataka 1,370 9.4% Delhi 1,239 8.5% Andhra Pradesh 1,018 7% Kerala 1,011 7% Gujarat 980 6.7% West Bengal 923 6.4% Telangana 622 4.3% Uttar Pradesh 572 3.9% Odisha 468 3.2% Rajasthan 351 2.4% Bihar 320 2.2% Madhya Pradesh 291 2%

GiveRadar can place almost every Indian NGO by state because the FCRA register records each organization's state and city. A registered address is where an organization is based, not a map of where its programs reach, which for a national NGO is often a head office in a metro.

Data sources

Where does GiveRadar's India data come from?

GiveRadar's Indian organizations come mainly from the FCRA register, the Ministry of Home Affairs list of organizations cleared to receive foreign contributions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010. A register entry holds an organization's name, registration number, state and activity field; it carries no financial statements and, for almost every row, no website, because tax-benefit status under Sections 80G and 12A is granted separately by the Income Tax Department.

FCRA register (Ministry of Home Affairs) fcraonline.nic.in ↗
The register of organizations cleared to receive foreign contributions under the FCRA 2010: name, registration number and state
14,544 records 100% coverage
NGO Darpan (NITI Aayog) ngodarpan.gov.in ↗
The government information portal where NGOs enrol for a Darpan Unique ID, now required for FCRA, 80G and central grants
Income Tax exempted institutions incometaxindia.gov.in ↗
Where 80G and 12A/12AB tax approvals are searched, granted separately by the Income Tax Department
One GiveRadar profile
14,544
Share of profiles carrying each field
Registration ID 100%
Financial return 0%
Expense breakdown 0%
Website 0.6%
Contact email 0.4%
Freshness

How current is GiveRadar's India data?

August 30, 2026 Register last refreshed The most recent full pass over the FCRA register data. Any profile with its own newer edit carries that later date instead.
August 23, 2026 This page last reviewed When the figures, wording and sources on this page were last checked against the register.

GiveRadar refreshes Indian FCRA data in periodic bulk passes rather than a continuous feed. A very recent registration, a renewal or a cancellation may not appear yet, and an organization whose FCRA certificate has since been cancelled may still show here until the next pass.

Learn more with our country guide

Giving in India

How the charity sector is regulated, what kinds of nonprofits operate, and how to evaluate them before you give.

How many NGOs and charities are there in India, and who registers them?

GiveRadar tracks 14,546 NGOs and charities in India. They are drawn mainly from the FCRA register, the Ministry of Home Affairs list of organizations cleared to receive foreign contributions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010. This is a foreign-funding register, not a vetted list of charities, and it covers only a subset of all Indian NGOs.

NGO (gair-sarkari sangathan) is an umbrella term in India, not a single legal form. An organization first exists as a public charitable trust, a society or a Section 8 company, and FCRA registration sits on top of that. Groups that take no foreign funds need no FCRA certificate, so they do not appear in this register.

What does FCRA registration mean, and what does it not?

FCRA registration means the Ministry of Home Affairs has cleared an organization to receive foreign contributions, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010. It is granted to bodies with a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme.

It does not mean the organization has been incorporated as a charity, granted tax-exempt status, or rated for effectiveness. FCRA is a funding clearance, so treat it as evidence an organization may lawfully take foreign money, not as proof of charitable quality.

What legal forms do Indian NGOs take?

Indian NGOs are usually a public charitable trust, a society, or a Section 8 company. A trust is created by a trust deed and registered or supervised under state public-trust law, often through a Charity Commissioner or Registrar of Public Trusts.

A society is a membership body registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 or its state equivalent, while a Section 8 company is a nonprofit company under the Companies Act 2013 that must apply profits to its objects. Many NGOs also enrol on NGO Darpan for a Darpan Unique ID.

Are donations to Indian NGOs and charities tax-deductible?

A donation is deductible for the donor only if the organization holds a valid 80G approval from the Income Tax Department, giving a 50% or 100% deduction subject to limits. Separate 12A or 12AB registration exempts the organization's own income.

FCRA registration alone does not make a gift deductible, and the two 80G rates and any qualifying limit depend on the recipient and the gift. Confirm an organization's current 80G status before assuming relief applies.

How do you check an Indian NGO before you donate?

Check an Indian NGO in the official registers before giving, using its exact name or FCRA registration number. A familiar name or a professional website is not a substitute for confirming its clearances.

How can you donate to charities and NGOs in India?

India offers direct giving to registered NGOs working in education, health, social services, the environment and women's and children's welfare. Choose a cause deliberately, verify the recipient and use only payment details the organization itself publishes.

  • Explore Indian NGOs by cause, such as the education charities directory, and compare organizations serving the outcome you value.
  • Confirm the recipient's FCRA registration and, for a tax deduction, its 80G status.
  • Give through the organization's confirmed bank details, UPI or a secure, published payment channel.
  • Keep the receipt for your 80G claim. See GiveRadar's guidance for donors for more checks.
FAQ

Common questions

What is FCRA registration in India?

FCRA registration is a clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, that lets an Indian organization receive foreign contributions. It is granted to bodies with a definite cultural, economic, educational, religious or social programme, and it is not a charity or tax certificate.

Are the organizations on GiveRadar's India page vetted charities?

No, they are FCRA-registered NGOs, not vetted charities. FCRA registration clears an organization to receive foreign funds; it does not certify charitable purpose, governance, impact or tax status. It is also only a subset of Indian NGOs, since organizations that take no foreign contributions need no FCRA certificate.

What legal forms do Indian NGOs take?

Indian NGOs are usually a public charitable trust (registered under state trust law), a society (under the Societies Registration Act 1860) or a Section 8 company (under the Companies Act 2013). NGO is an umbrella term, not a single legal form, and FCRA registration sits on top of one of these forms.

Are donations to Indian NGOs tax-deductible?

A donation is deductible for the donor only if the organization holds a valid 80G approval from the Income Tax Department, giving a 50% or 100% deduction subject to limits. Separate 12A/12AB registration exempts the organization's own income. FCRA registration alone does not make a gift deductible.

How do I check an Indian NGO before donating?

Confirm the organization's FCRA registration on the Ministry of Home Affairs FCRA portal, look it up on NGO Darpan for its Darpan Unique ID, and check its 80G and 12A status in the Income Tax Department's exempted-institutions search. Registration confirms the clearances it holds, not that a gift is well spent.

What is NGO Darpan?

NGO Darpan is NITI Aayog's information portal where an existing NGO enrols to receive a Darpan Unique ID. It does not create or incorporate an NGO, but the ID is now required for FCRA registration, 80G applications and central-government grants, so most funded NGOs hold one.

What does GiveRadar hold for Indian NGOs, and what is missing?

GiveRadar holds a name, FCRA registration number, state and city for Indian NGOs, with a registration number on 99.7%. It holds a website for only 0.6% and an email for 0.4%, because the FCRA register never required them, and GiveRadar holds no financial statements or 80G/12A status for India.

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