HCLTech Grant India – Water and Biodiversity (Edition XI)

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-14 20:56

Annual CSR grant of INR 5 crore (~USD 600K) for 4-year projects by Indian registered NGOs working in water, biodiversity, health, or education in rural India. Open to NGOs implementing in India with 5+ years of existence.

Source: https://www.hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant

Funding Details

Funder

HCL Foundation (HCLTech CSR)

Funding Goal

Support Indian rural NGOs implementing projects in Water, Biodiversity, Health, and Education with community impact in rural India

Funding Amount

INR 5 crore (~USD 650,000) per winning NGO for 4-year project; INR 50 lakh (~USD 65,000) for 8 runner-up NGOs on 2-year projects. Total committed fund: INR 24 crore per edition. (65.000 € – 650.000 €)

Deadline

2025-06-25 (periodic)

How to Apply

Online portal at hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant. Annual cycle. Edition XI closed June 25, 2025 — Edition XII not yet announced as of March 2026. Contact hclfoundation@hcltech.com for next cycle notification.

Target Region

Rural India only

Contact

hclfoundation@hcltech.com | HCL Foundation, HCL Technologies Ltd., Plot No. 3A, Sector 126, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Last Checked

2026-03-14 21:29

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organisation must be registered in India as Society, Trust, or Section 8 company
• Minimum 5 years of project implementation experience
• Minimum INR 50 lakh average annual expenditure (last 3 financial years)
• Must have 80G, 12A/10(23C) and CSR registration under Indian law

Project Scope

• Projects must be in rural India only — urban/peri-urban ineligible
• Eligible themes: Water, Biodiversity, Health, Education

Constraints

• No sub-granting: direct project implementation required
• Previous winners cannot reapply in same category
• Edition XI CLOSED June 25 2025 — watch for Edition XII announcement

Summary

The HCLTech Grant is an annual CSR grant programme administered by the HCL Foundation, the philanthropic arm of HCL Technologies (HCLTech), one of India large information technology companies. The programme awards substantial multi-year grants to Indian NGOs implementing community-driven development projects in rural India. Since its inception, the programme has evolved through multiple editions, expanding its thematic focus over time. From Edition XI, the programme operates across four thematic categories: Water, Biodiversity, Health, and Education. The Environment category was retired and replaced with Biodiversity, reflecting the foundation commitment to ecological conservation and measurable environmental impact. The Water category was newly introduced to address water scarcity and sustainable water management as critical rural challenges. Each winning NGO per category receives INR 5 crore (approximately USD 650,000) for a comprehensive four-year project, with results validated at an annual jury meeting. Eight runner-up organisations (two per category) receive INR 50 lakh each for two-year projects. Total committed funding per edition is INR 24 crore. Eligibility is restricted to Indian-registered not-for-profit entities with a minimum of five years of operational experience and a demonstrated track record in one of the four thematic areas. Projects must be implemented directly in rural areas, and sub-granting is not permitted. Organisations must hold current 80G, 12A/10(23C), and CSR registrations under Indian law. The programme follows an annual application cycle. Edition XI applications closed on 25 June 2025, with results expected in early 2026. Edition XII has not been announced as of March 2026. Foreign organisations or those without Indian legal registration are not eligible to apply directly, though Indian partner organisations with water, biodiversity, or waste management programmes in rural India could benefit.

Historical Context

Annual programme since approximately 2010. Previous editions covered Environment category before it was replaced by Biodiversity in Edition XI. First time Water was included as a standalone category from Edition XI. Expanded to 8 runner-up slots from prior editions. Edition X results completed before Edition XI launch.

Why it was added

grant-scan-list7-2026-03-14

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