Who We Are

The idea of the Natarajan Empowerment Foundation (NEF) was born from a simple but powerful truth: India’s growth is incomplete if its people do not feel empowered.

As India races to become one of the world’s largest economies, many citizens especially women and seniors remain on the margins of opportunity while the youth are not meaningfully engaged in the country’s development. For our Founders – Ganesh and Uma, this gap was impossible to ignore. They had lived the difference empowerment can make in a person’s life.

Ganesh grew up in a small village in Jharkhand, surrounded by peers with limited ambition. What changed his path was education, opportunity, and the belief that he could aim higher. Uma’s story began in Pondicherry, where she chose to step beyond expectations, move to Delhi, and carve her place in spaces that were once closed to women. Both journeys were shaped by courage, mentors, and networks that enabled them to thrive.

These personal experiences, combined with decades of leadership in business and social impact, led to a realisation: empowerment cannot be left to chance. It must be designed, shared, and scaled.

Further inspired by the collective spirit of the Quit India Movement, NEF was founded to create a modern movement of empowerment – one where every Indian feels relevant, capable, and included in the nation’s progress.