Cognitud Foundation is a newly established Indian non-profit, registered in Gurugram, working on child empowerment, women’s empowerment and education. We are starting small on purpose — because the changes we believe in are the kind that hold only when they’re built one community at a time.
— opportunity, not charity.
Cognitud Foundation was founded by Shantanu Bhowmick and Nilanjana Som Bhowmick — partners in life and now in this work — out of a conviction that they had reached a point where they wanted to direct their time and resources towards something that lasts beyond them.
The idea, simply, was this: India has no shortage of bright minds and capable women; it has a shortage of doors that open at the right time. So instead of building yet another sweeping programme, we asked what kind of organisation we’d want to receive help from, if we were on the other side of the conversation.
The answer was: one that listens before it acts, one that stays longer than the headline-grabbing moment, and one that respects the dignity of the people it works with. That is the standard we are trying to hold ourselves to from day one.
We do this through three pillars — child empowerment, women’s empowerment, and education — delivered through community-rooted programmes that are designed with the people they serve, not for them.
We want to be a small, accountable foundation that does a few things genuinely well — and that other founders, donors and volunteers can point to as a model of how a young Indian NGO can be run with rigour, kindness and honesty.
Cognitud Foundation is led by its founding trustees. We are a small board on purpose — to keep decisions close to the work and accountability close to the donor.
Co-founder of Cognitud Foundation. Shantanu leads the foundation's strategic direction, partnerships and finance. His professional background informs the foundation's emphasis on disciplined planning, measurable outcomes and long-term institution-building.
Co-founder of Cognitud Foundation. Nilanjana leads programme design, community engagement and the foundation's work with women and children. She anchors the organisation's commitment to dignity, listening and on-the-ground presence in everything we do.
Oversees the foundation's overall administration, governance, and operational coordination. Responsible for ensuring effective execution of strategic initiatives, stakeholder alignment, compliance, and smooth functioning of the organisation across programmes and partnerships.
Leads the foundation's strategic collaborations, donor engagement, and ecosystem development. Focuses on building long-term partnerships with corporates, institutions, NGOs, and government stakeholders to scale impact and strengthen programme delivery.
Cognitud Foundation
8th Floor, Golf Course Road
DLF Phase 5, Sector 54
Gurugram, Haryana 122002
India
Please write to us — we respond personally to every enquiry in the first few months of operation.