Madhi Foundation

Madhi Foundation Madhi aims to design and implement programmes in the education sector, catering to the marginalized and most underserved communities across India.

Guided by our vision to ensure that every child can thrive with strong Foundational Learning skills, we design and implement tech-based, scalable, and context-specific solutions to equip children with foundational literacy and numeracy. Madhi Foundation was established in 2016 as a non-profit organisation working in the education sector, committed to the cause of bridging the equity gap in educati

on for children across India. The Foundation draws its inspiration from the Tamil adage, “vidhiyay madhiyaal vellalaam”, which translates to, “you can conquer destiny with intellect (madhi)”. We truly believe that equitable and purposeful education can be a great leveler for children, mitigating the adverse impact of most of their social, cultural or economic disadvantages on their future, and help them create life paths of their choice, realise their potential for excellence, and conquer their destinies.

05/06/2026



At Madhi Foundation, our vision is simple: Foundational Learning first, so every child can thrive!

But foundational learning is more than letters and numbers. It supports the holistic development of a child and, importantly, helps them grow into responsible citizens who care for the planet.

That’s why we start early, working with the government to design curricula that include lessons on why we should love and protect our world. When children learn to care for nature, they build habits that last a lifetime. Young hearts that cherish the Earth bring hope, making the planet’s future brighter with every small step.

04/06/2026

There is something special about the first day back at school.

The nervousness, the excitement, the feeling that anything is possible.

For students, it’s new friendships, new challenges, and the courage to try again. For teachers, it’s the joy of guiding curiosity, shaping dreams, and seeing growth unfold every day.

Learning is more than textbooks or grades. It’s about resilience, connection, and discovering something new.

Here’s to enjoying each lesson, celebrating small wins, and making this academic year unforgettable.

01/06/2026

“Who said Team Madhi only knows work?”

At our annual retreat, HR planned a simple team-bonding cooking activity.

What actually happened? A full-scale culinary operation worthy of a reality cooking show.

Within minutes, every team had a self-promoted head chef, several quality control experts, and at least one salt consultant who kept reminding, “I think we should add some more salt.”

Firewood was gathered. Ingredients were measured. Recipes were analysed, debated, and improvised.

Did too many cooks spoil the broth? Well... not this time. Somehow, against all odds, the brainstorming, backseat cooking, unsolicited advice, and dramatic taste-testing worked. The food was genuinely delicious! 😄

Our biggest takeaway? Teamwork is a lot like cooking. A little messy, very noisy, and surprisingly rewarding.

Sometimes, a team needs to cook together to achieve goals together!😄

The new primary grade textbooks for seem to be receiving appreciation for being unconventional and moving children and...
31/05/2026

The new primary grade textbooks for seem to be receiving appreciation for being unconventional and moving children and teachers away from rote learning.

In an article published in The Times of India, the transformation is captured through a simple example:

“A primary school student learning mathematics under the state board will no longer be introduced to numbers in the conventional sense... Instead, they will be introduced through stories such as an injured sparrow asking a girl for a certain number of twigs to build a nest.”

As the lesson unfolds, shapes emerge through the sparrow’s body, arithmetic through eggs laid and hatched, and empathy through conversations about caring for animals. Learning is woven into stories, activities, observation, and reflection.

As School Education Secretary B. Chandra Mohan notes in the article, “The first thing that we decided and incorporated into the textbooks was learning outcomes and competencies that had to be attained through age appropriate learning materials. The new books leave no scope for rote memorisation.”

We are grateful that the Madhi Foundation team was given the opportunity to contribute to the co-design and co-authoring of the textbooks and teacher handbooks alongside the Government of Tamil Nadu and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

Here is the article by Sai Venkatesh in The Times Of India that spotlights how Tamil Nadu is reimagining foundational learning for young children.

We are delighted to launch The Madhi Monthly, a new bulletin that brings you stories from the field, ground realities, a...
30/05/2026

We are delighted to launch The Madhi Monthly, a new bulletin that brings you stories from the field, ground realities, and reflections on the changes taking shape across the education system.

In our first edition, we spotlight the District Accelerator for Early Learning (DAEL) programme and its work in Ennum Ezhuthum classrooms. What began across 12 clusters in Sivagangai and Uthangarai has now expanded to 87 schools, reaching 2,518 children. Through teacher handbooks, classroom demonstrations, regular coaching, cluster meetings, and data-informed tools, teachers are finding new ways to support children at different learning levels.

Read More: https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?u=03178d85478f1d84f227f200c&id=ec4dd1ef15

This May, our celebrations are filled with gratitude, pride, and joy as we recognise the incredible people who make Madh...
26/05/2026

This May, our celebrations are filled with gratitude, pride, and joy as we recognise the incredible people who make Madhi Foundation what it is every single day.

Vijayalakshmi Mohan, our Co-Founder, marks 9 years of thoughtful leadership and an unwavering belief in creating meaningful change. Chellam PT celebrates 2 years of bringing care, diligence, and integrity to Finance and Compliance, while Rajaguru S completes 1 year of contributing to impact through technology as an Android Developer.

Work anniversaries are special because they reflect the people who choose to grow, build, and contribute together every day. Behind every milestone is consistency, teamwork, and a shared sense of purpose.

Thank you for being such an important part of this journey. Wishing you many more years of growth, learning, and impact ahead.

A new chapter in foundational learning begins as schools reopen on June 4 with colourful, activity-rich textbooks for Cl...
25/05/2026

A new chapter in foundational learning begins as schools reopen on June 4 with colourful, activity-rich textbooks for Classes I–III across Tamil Nadu. 📚✨

We are grateful that the Madhi Foundation team were given the opportunity to contribute by co-designing, co-authoring of the textbooks and teacher handbooks alongside the Government of Tamil Nadu and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

Built on the vision of Ennum Ezhuthum, these textbooks move learning beyond memorisation towards understanding, joy, participation, and real-life application. Through stories, songs, games, conversations, and creative activities, children are encouraged to learn in ways that feel meaningful and engaging.

As School Education Secretary B. Chandra Mohan shared, the goal is to help children “learn by understanding, enjoying and applying the learning in life,” with every concept taught in a joyful, engaging, and experiential manner.

The books also thoughtfully integrate socio-emotional learning, life skills, inclusion, gender representation, and diverse family realities, helping classrooms become spaces where every child feels seen, valued, and connected.

Alongside this, the teacher handbooks provide practical classroom guidance, additional learning resources, and QR-enabled teaching support designed for real classroom contexts, including multi-grade settings.

We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this meaningful step towards building classrooms where children learn with curiosity, confidence, and connection. 🌱

Read the Full Report by Meghna M in The Hindu:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/students-of-classes-i-iii-to-get-activity-rich-colourful-textbooks-when-schools-reopen/article71017847.ece/amp/

“Tamil Nadu has the lowest learning outcomes score in South India.”That headline has understandably drawn attention.And ...
22/05/2026

“Tamil Nadu has the lowest learning outcomes score in South India.”

That headline has understandably drawn attention.

And yes, the numbers are real. Tamil Nadu scored 55.1 out of 240 in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) Learning Outcomes PARAKH assessment conducted by NCERT in 2024.

But here’s the part many people will miss:

The same data also shows Tamil Nadu’s learning outcomes score has steadily improved over the years:

2022–23 → 41.2
2023–24 → 41.2
2024–25 → 55.1
That’s a 34% jump in one cycle.

This does not make the current score “good.”
But it does indicate movement in the right direction.

The Hard Truth:
Tamil Nadu, despite its strong reputation in education, higher education access, and social indicators, has a serious foundational learning challenge in school education. The assessment suggests many students are still struggling in language, maths, science, and social science.

The Hope:
Over the past five years, Tamil Nadu has worked to reform teaching and learning through curriculum redesign, teacher training, application-based assessments, and stronger governance systems. The results we are seeing today reflect that effort. At the same time, they remind us that education reform often moves more slowly than we hope, even when several changes happen together. But that is not a reason to step back. Instead, it shows the system is moving in the right direction and that this is the moment to strengthen and accelerate these efforts, helping Tamil Nadu move beyond the learning outcomes that have defined recent years.

AI is advancing incredibly fast. But in many schools, even stable internet is still a challenge.This gap is exactly why...
18/05/2026



AI is advancing incredibly fast. But in many schools, even stable internet is still a challenge.

This gap is exactly why this role matters to us.

At Madhi Foundation, we’re building AI systems for real classrooms, teachers, and real constraints. We care deeply about creating technology that is reliable, accessible, and genuinely useful in low-resource school environments.

We’re looking for an AI Engineer who enjoys solving hard problems thoughtfully, someone who can balance innovation with practicality and build systems that work beyond ideal conditions.

If this resonates with you, we’d love to connect.

👉 Apply Now: https://zrec.in/Q7Fv3?source=CareerSite

Over the years, as Madhi’s work has grown, so have the questions we ask ourselves.How do we collaborate better across te...
15/05/2026

Over the years, as Madhi’s work has grown, so have the questions we ask ourselves.

How do we collaborate better across teams? How do we plan and prioritise while staying responsive to the realities of the work? How do we build systems that can hold both scale and agility?

Today, our programmes sit at very different stages of growth. Some have steady rhythms and long-term structures, while others are evolving rapidly and require constant iteration. Through all of this, teams across the organisation continue to adapt, support, and build together.

We’re happy to share that we are partnering with Equist Consulting LLP over the coming months to reflect on and strengthen how we work as an organisation. Their work in enabling teams and organisations to think more intentionally about collaboration, planning, decision-making, and performance deeply resonated with us.

As part of this journey, the Equist team recently facilitated a thoughtful session with Madhi’s team on accelerating individual and team performance. It created space for honest conversations, reflection, and shared thinking on how we can work better together while staying grounded in purpose.

Looking forward to the journey ahead.

Address

14/A, 1st Street, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Varadapuram, Kotturpuram
Chennai
600085

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 6:30pm
Thursday 10am - 6:30pm
Friday 10am - 6:30pm

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