About โ€“ AaKAS
About AaKAS

Our
Journey

Born from the realities of communities and strengthened by research, our journey is about turning knowledge into care, evidence into action, and innovation into impact โ€” so that every system we build truly serves the people it exists for.

Get Involved โ†’ Explore Our Work โ†—
AaKAS field work
13+
Years of
Field Experience
20K+
Individuals
Reached
6
States
Active
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"You didn't start as 'leaders of finished models.' You became leaders by spending years learning, observing, adapting, and building slowly from the field."
The AaKAS Philosophy of Leadership
AaKAS community work โ€” Barakat Bundle
2013โ†’
Building from the Field
About AaKAS

Aarogyam Knowledge
to Action Society

AaKAS is a national public health organisation dedicated to improving community health across India. Our journey began with grassroots wellness initiatives that evolved into robust, research-anchored public health collaborations with some of the world's leading institutions.

We design, test, and scale evidence-based public health programmes across rural, tribal, and urban India. Our work spans implementation research, health systems strengthening, capacity building, and programme evaluation โ€” from pilot studies to multi-state rollouts.

We collaborate with WHO, UNICEF, PHFI, IIPHG, government agencies, and academic institutions to build sustainable models that integrate with existing health infrastructure and remain functional long after external support ends.

๐Ÿ”ฌ
Research-Driven
Empowering communities through evidence-based practices that enhance public health outcomes and ensure sustainable development.
๐Ÿ’š
Compassionate Care
Transforming lives with dedicated wellness, rehabilitation, and palliative care initiatives that address individual and community needs.
โšก
Technology-Enabled
Leveraging telemedicine, digital health platforms, and data systems to extend quality care to last-mile communities.
๐Ÿค
Systems-Thinking
Building interventions that integrate with government infrastructure, ensuring sustainability beyond project timelines.
Our Services โ†’ Partner With Us
What Guides Us

Vision, Mission & Core Values

Our Vision
๐ŸŒ…

A Healthier, More
Equitable India

To create a healthier, more equitable India by working alongside communities โ€” where evidence, empathy, and local action come together to build systems of care that truly last. We envision a future where geography and social circumstance no longer determine access to quality health.

Our Mission
๐ŸŽฏ

Bridge Knowledge
and Action

To bridge knowledge and action by designing, testing, and delivering community-led health solutions that are practical, evidence-driven, and rooted in real-world needs. We measure success not by outputs, but by whether communities are demonstrably better off โ€” and whether systems continue to serve them after we leave.

๐Ÿ”
Rigour
Every programme begins with evidence and generates new evidence โ€” creating a continuous cycle of learning and improvement.
โค๏ธ
Empathy
We design with communities, not for them โ€” ensuring interventions reflect real needs, lived realities, and cultural context.
๐ŸŒฑ
Sustainability
Our measure of success is when a community no longer needs us โ€” because the system we helped build continues on its own.
๐Ÿ”—
Accountability
Transparent reporting, annual documentation, and rigorous M&E ensure we are accountable to communities, partners, and funders alike.
Meet Our Founders

Leadership Rooted in Practice,
Learning & Long-Term Commitment

AaKAS was built not from a boardroom, but from years of field work, community relationships, and an unwavering belief that public health must be grounded in lived reality.

Dr. Minjan Patel

Dr. Minjan Patel

Founder Director & CEO
Occupational Therapy Public Health Rural Development 15+ Years Experience
World Bank WHO UNICEF IIPHG PHFI
Founder Director
Chief Executive Officer ยท AaKAS

Dr. Minjan Patel

Dr. Minjan Patel is a public health professional and researcher committed to strengthening healthy communities through evidence-informed and context-responsive solutions. Trained in Occupational Therapy, Public Health, and Rural Development, she leads AaKAS with a focus on translating research into meaningful community action.

With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Patel has worked across primary healthcare, non-communicable diseases, women's and adolescent health, and midwifery initiatives, in collaboration with organisations such as the World Bank, WHO, UNICEF, IIPHG, PHFI, and multiple national and international NGOs.

Her work includes designing and delivering structured training programmes, developing technical IEC and behaviour change communication materials, and leading capacity-building initiatives for health workers and community cadres. She has trained more than 1,800 health workers and contributed to the design and implementation of large-scale community health and wellness programmes across diverse settings.

Primary Healthcare NCD Management Women's Health Adolescent Health Midwifery Initiatives IEC Materials Behaviour Change Comm.
15+
Years of Experience
1,800+
Health Workers Trained
6+
States Worked In
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Founder Director
President ยท AaKAS

Dr. Hitesh Purohit

Dr. Hitesh Purohit is a public health professional and healthcare innovator dedicated to strengthening community health through technology-enabled, evidence-informed, and systems-oriented approaches. With training in Physical Therapy and Public Health, he leads AaKAS with a focus on developing and scaling community-centred models.

He has collaborated with organisations including WHO, UNICEF, PHFI, IIPHG, local governments, and national and international NGOs on research, implementation, and systems strengthening initiatives โ€” addressing non-communicable diseases, climate and health challenges, and access to care through task-shifting and telemedicine.

Dr. Purohit has trained more than 1,000 health workers, supported care delivery for over 20,000 individuals, and continues to guide the design of sustainable, context-responsive health models that bridge evidence, technology, and community action.

Physical Therapy Telemedicine Design NCD & Climate Health Task Shifting Models Health Systems Research Digital Health Implementation Science
1,000+
Health Workers Trained
20K+
Individuals Reached
5+
Years Telemedicine
Know More โ†’
Dr. Hitesh Purohit

Dr. Hitesh Purohit

Founder Director & President
Physical Therapy Public Health Telemedicine Implementation Research
WHO UNICEF PHFI IIPHG Govt. of India
Who We Are

A National Public Health
Organisation Built on
Field Realities

AaKAS operates from two primary offices โ€” Ahmedabad, Gujarat and Indore, Madhya Pradesh โ€” with a third presence in New Delhi, and a nationwide network of field collaborations across Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

We are not a research organisation that occasionally visits communities. We are an implementation organisation that uses research as its backbone. Over 13 years, we have developed a distinctive capacity to work at the intersection of evidence generation, systems design, and ground-level action โ€” a combination that very few organisations in India bring together under one roof.

Our work is shaped by the conviction that sustainable health change requires patience, presence, and institutional humility. The communities we serve have taught us as much as we have contributed โ€” and that reciprocal learning is at the heart of everything AaKAS does.

Support Our Mission โ†’ Contact Us
AaKAS field team
3
Office Locations
Ahmedabad ยท Indore ยท Delhi
Our Differentiation

What Makes AaKAS Different

01
๐Ÿ”ฌ
Research is Our Operating System, Not an Add-On
Every programme we design begins with an evidence base and contributes new evidence back to the field. Our RCTs, baseline surveys, and qualitative evaluations are not separate from implementation โ€” they are part of it, creating a continuous feedback loop from field to policy.
02
๐ŸŒ
Both Global Partnerships and Village Presence
We hold WHO partnerships and simultaneously run wellness camps in tribal villages. This rare combination โ€” institutional credibility paired with deep local embeddedness โ€” allows us to bridge global frameworks with on-ground realities in ways that neither pure research nor pure service organisations typically can.
03
๐Ÿ”„
Designed for Sustainability, Not Dependency
Our goal is always to make ourselves redundant. We design models around task-shifting, community ownership, and government system integration โ€” so that by the time AaKAS steps back, the community health infrastructure continues independently. Tillor Village and Narmada are living examples of this.
04
๐Ÿ“ก
Telemedicine Pioneers in Low-Resource Settings
Since 2020, AaKAS has been implementing telemedicine in environments where infrastructure, literacy, and connectivity present real barriers. Our Karuna Setu model has demonstrated that task-shifted telemedicine works โ€” and our learning from this is directly informing national digital health policy conversations.
05
๐Ÿงฉ
Full-Spectrum Implementation Capacity
From situational assessment and co-design to pilot implementation, scale-up, evaluation, and policy translation โ€” AaKAS can accompany partners across the entire programme lifecycle. This end-to-end capability reduces the coordination burden on government and institutional partners.
06
๐ŸŽ“
Institutional Learning Hub for Public Health
Over the years, AaKAS has mentored and supported students from TISS, IIPHG, Ashoka University, and other institutions. We believe that building the next generation of public health practitioners is as important as delivering programmes today โ€” and we integrate that learning mission into every initiative.
Legal Structure
Registered Nonprofit Society
Under Indian law
Tax Exemption
12A & 80G Registered
Donations are tax-deductible
Established
2013
13+ years of operations
Annual Reporting
9 Annual Reports
2016โ€“2025, available on request
Frequently Asked

Find Answers to
Common Queries

Everything you need to know about AaKAS โ€” our work, legal status, partnerships, funding models, and how to engage with us.

Still have questions? Contact us โ†’
What does AaKAS stand for and what is its core focus?
+
Aarogyam Knowledge to Action Society (AaKAS) is a non-profit organisation working to translate public health research, field experience, and community knowledge into practical, scalable health solutions for rural, tribal, and underserved urban communities across India.
Where does AaKAS primarily work?
+
AaKAS has operational offices in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), and Delhi. Our field experience extends nationwide across Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and other regions through institutional partnerships and research collaborations.
Why does AaKAS emphasise research so strongly?
+
Because solutions that are not grounded in evidence often fail at scale. AaKAS integrates implementation research, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), field evaluations, and learning loops to ensure interventions are effective, context-relevant, and sustainable. Research is our operating system, not an add-on.
Does AaKAS only work on research projects?
+
No. Research is a tool, not the end goal. Our work spans programme design, field implementation, capacity building, policy support, and system integration โ€” ensuring research findings translate into real-world impact. We are an implementation organisation that uses research as its backbone.
What kind of health issues does AaKAS focus on?
+
We work across:
  • Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
  • Palliative care and home-based care
  • Musculoskeletal and neurological conditions
  • Women's, adolescent, and community health
  • Climate and health (AWARE Project with University of Maryland)
  • Health systems strengthening and digital health
Can institutions or researchers partner with AaKAS?
+
Yes. We actively collaborate on research studies, pilots, evaluations, and implementation partnerships โ€” especially where field realities and system-level learning are critical. AaKAS works through MoUs, co-implementation partnerships, research collaborations, advisory support, and technical consultancy.
Does AaKAS offer internships or field learning opportunities?
+
Yes. AaKAS provides field-based learning, research exposure, and mentorship for students and early-career professionals. We have worked with participants from TISS Mumbai, TISS Hyderabad, IIPHG, Ashoka University, and other institutions. These engagements are integrated with ongoing field initiatives, allowing participants to learn through real-world public health practice.
How can individuals contribute beyond donations?
+
Individuals can engage with AaKAS through:
  • Volunteering or internships in fieldwork and documentation
  • Field research and data collection support
  • Capacity-building and training assistance
  • Youth leadership and community engagement programmes
  • Technical or strategic advisory roles
Are donations tax-deductible? What is your 80G status?
+
AaKAS is a registered nonprofit society under Indian law. Donations are eligible for tax benefits under applicable sections (including 12A and 80G, where applicable). Official receipts and documentation are provided for all contributions to ensure compliance and transparency.
What is your typical partnership model?
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AaKAS works through structured collaboration models including Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), co-implementation partnerships, research collaborations, advisory support, and technical consultancy. Partnerships are tailored based on scope โ€” from pilot implementation to multi-district programme support. Initial discussions typically take 4โ€“8 weeks to formalise.
Do you have existing research publications or annual reports?
+
AaKAS has contributed to research documentation, programme evaluations, policy briefs, and implementation research initiatives across 9 annual reports (2016โ€“2025). Details of publications and technical reports are available upon request. We will be consolidating these under a dedicated research section on our website.
Can I donate to a specific programme?
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Yes. Donors may choose to support specific initiatives such as Karuna Setu (community-based care), Barakat Bundle research implementation, Young Gamechangers (youth engagement), or capacity building activities. Both restricted and unrestricted contributions are accepted depending on donor preference.
Support Our Mission

Built from Years of
Work Alongside
Communities

Shaped by years of working alongside communities, health workers, and public systems, our mission is not theoretical โ€” it is lived, tested, and continuously refined. Your support enables us to scale what works and continue building systems that serve people long after we leave.

Donate Now โ†’ Get Involved
AaKAS support mission
๐Ÿข Ahmedabad
SG Building, Gota,
S. G. Highway,
Ahmedabad โ€“ 382424, Gujarat
๐Ÿ“ž 7383677661
โœ‰๏ธ aarogyam.kas@gmail.com
๐Ÿข Indore
Narmada Nagar, Annapurna,
Indore โ€“ 452001,
Madhya Pradesh
๐Ÿ“ž 7383677661
โœ‰๏ธ aarogyam.kas@gmail.com
๐Ÿข New Delhi
LGF, E-2, E Block,
Kalka Ji,
New Delhi โ€“ 110019
๐Ÿ“ž 7383677661
โœ‰๏ธ aarogyam.kas@gmail.com
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