The India Acumen Fellowship is Acumen Academy’s leadership program for social entrepreneurs and senior leaders in India who have built a working model against poverty and want to scale it.
Fellows keep running their organizations through seven months of virtual sessions, in-person immersives and self-paced work on moral leadership, adaptive leadership, polarity management and storytelling. Graduates join the Foundry, Acumen’s global alumni community, which offers coaching and access to funding by application or referral.
Benefits & funding
- Fully funded: Acumen covers program costs, including travel, lodging and food for the in-person immersives.
- No stipend or other funding; travel is covered only within the country, not internationally.
- Format: a one-day virtual orientation, three 5–6-day immersives, two virtual Learning Labs, plus at least 4–6 hours a week of self-study.
- Attendance at every session is required; missing sessions can lead to removal.
Eligibility
- Residents of India; depending on team capacity, Acumen makes exceptions for applicants with a concrete connection to India, such as long-term work there or a project focused on it.
- Over 18, with at least 5 years’ work experience.
- A social entrepreneur or senior decision-maker currently working full-time in an organization tackling poverty.
- English proficiency, reliable internet and full availability for the whole program; no academic prerequisites.
- Not open to past Acumen Fellows or graduates of six similar Acumen Leadership Accelerators.
- Women and gender-diverse, for-profit and rural leaders are encouraged, not required.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
India
Experience required
≥ 5 yrs
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs
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Application process
- 1Read the Applicant Toolkit, then submit the online application (CV and short essays, some answered by video) by October 31, 2026.
- 2Only one applicant per organization can advance in a given year.
- 3Shortlisted applicants join a two-day virtual Selection Conference; finalists give contacts for two professional references (not family or friends).
- 4Selected Fellows are notified and start in March 2027.
Program timeline
Second Zoom info session
October 16, 2026
Application deadline
October 31, 2026
Virtual Selection Conference
January 15–16, 2027
Fellowship runs
March–October 2027