Apply — Connect Bharat | Aarohanam Foundation

Before you begin: this application is less a test and more a mirror. We're trying to understand whether you're drawn to nation-building, grassroots social enterprise, and India's development story — not how well you can guess the "correct" answer. Answer as yourself, not as who you think we want.

Full Name

Email Address

Phone Number

City / State

Age

If you could spend your career on one of these, which pulls you most?

Building something of my own from the ground up Helping others build — mentoring, funding, enabling Working within a system to change it from inside (policy, corporate, institutions) I genuinely don't know yet, and that's part of why I'm applying

Think of someone — anyone, known or not — whose work in India you find genuinely inspiring. What draws you to them most?

What they built How they built it, against the odds Who they built it for I can't think of anyone specific right now

A small, unglamorous project — a rooftop farm, a village skilling program — succeeds quietly with no recognition. Does that count as a life well spent?

Yes, completely Yes, but it'd be better with more visibility Only if it eventually grows bigger Hadn't thought about it that way

If money and failure weren't a concern, what's closer to what you'd actually spend the next 5 years doing?

Starting something of my own in India Working inside an organization already doing work I believe in Still exploring — nothing's clicked yet Something outside India

When you imagine yourself 10 years from now, having built or done something you're proud of — who's around you in that picture?

A team I built with The community / people it directly helped Mostly working alone, and that's fine Haven't pictured it yet

What's more true for you right now?

I have a specific idea I keep coming back to I don't have an idea yet, but I know the kind of problem I want to work on I'm drawn to the energy of building more than any specific idea I'm here to find out if this is even the right path for me

A mentor tells you your idea, as it stands, won't work. What's your honest first reaction?

Defend it — I still believe in it Genuinely reconsider — they might be right Feel discouraged for a bit, then decide what to do Ask them what they'd do differently

Which feels closer to home?

I've already tried building something, even something small and imperfect I've wanted to, but haven't started I've never really considered it until now I support others who build, more than I want to build myself

What's more exciting to you — the idea, or the doing?

The idea — the "aha" moment of a solution The doing — the slow, unglamorous work of making it real Genuinely both, equally Neither — I'm more drawn to understanding and connecting people to opportunity

If Connect Bharat changes nothing else, what would make it worth your 5 days?

Meeting people building something I could be part of Clarity on whether I actually want to build something myself A specific idea taking real shape Just the experience itself, honestly

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What's a change you dream of seeing in India — something you'd want to be part of building, even in a small way? Where does that dream come from, and what's stopped you from acting on it so far, if anything?

200–300 words. Write as yourself — this is the one place in the form where there's no "right" answer to guess at.

0 words

We'll reach out within 10 working days. No fee is required to apply.