Nominations
Nominate Raghu Vamsi Kadiri
Nominating Raghu for an award, a list or a fellowship? This page has what nominators need: verified facts, ready-to-use bios, sources and photos.
| Born | 2001 |
| Founded Marpu | 2019, at 18 |
| Council | Forbes Nonprofit Council |
| Every fact, sourced | The fact file |
Facts for your nomination
Each one can be checked against the sources below.
| Name | Raghu Vamsi Kadiri. Also written Kadiri Raghu Vamsi (Telugu order) |
| Based in | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Founded | Marpu Foundation, registered 6 July 2019 in Telangana (Reg. No. 619 of 2019), when he was 18. Founder and CEO since |
| Also created | OurVolunteer.com, an employee volunteering service for companies |
| Scale (as reported by Marpu) | A community of 1M+ volunteers, 250+ partner companies, programmes in 23+ states and 22 city offices, 10.2M+ lives reached, no foreign funding |
| Original work | The Volunteer-First CSR framework, set out in an SSRN working paper (DOI 10.2139/ssrn.6323138, 2026) |
| Book | How to Start an NGO in India, a step-by-step guide |
| Recognition | Karmaveer Chakra (2019); Telangana Changemaker (2019); Champions of Impactful CSR Leader, ET Edge (2025); American Express Leadership Academy (2026) |
| Recognition for Marpu | Sankalp Tara Award (2021); NGO of the Year, Empowering Environment (2022); ranked fifth in India on India Philanthropy Day (2023); Excellence in Water Conservation, CASCA (2025) |
| Networks | Global Shapers Community (World Economic Forum), Hyderabad Hub, since 2022; Kincentric Leadership cohort (2023 to 2024) |
| Fellowships and programmes | Kalinga Fellowship; WYSE International Leadership Programme, Italy; UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers; work with the United Nations in Laos; four years with the Oasis Movement |
| Education | Law, National Law University Delhi; bachelor’s degree, Loyola, Hyderabad; Osmania University; learning affiliations with Stanford, Harvard, Oxford and WWF |
| Verification contact | hi@kadiriraghuvamsi.com |
Categories he fits
Social impact
A volunteer-led network across 23+ states, built from Hyderabad without foreign funding.
Social entrepreneurship
A nonprofit registered at 18 and a volunteering service for companies.
CSR leadership
Originator of Volunteer-First CSR, working with 250+ companies.
Youth leadership
Founded at 18; a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum; works with colleges across India and has learned on seven continents.
Sustainability and environment
Lake rejuvenation, Miyawaki forests, solar power for public buildings; CASCA 2025 for water conservation.
Thought leadership
An SSRN working paper, a book and 140+ articles on CSR, NGOs and careers.
Programmes that take nominations
Raghu has no role in how these programmes choose. Check each official page for current eligibility, dates and rules.
Forbes 30 Under 30
Forbes Asia’s annual list includes a Social Impact category, and Forbes India publishes its own list. Nominations open on Forbes’s own pages during each cycle.
Commonwealth Youth Awards
Run by the Commonwealth Secretariat for young people, aged 15 to 29, whose work advances development in Commonwealth countries.
Ashoka Fellowship
Ashoka searches for social entrepreneurs with a new idea for changing a system, and accepts nominations.
CSR and social impact awards in India
Industry bodies, business media and foundations run annual CSR leadership, social impact and young achiever awards.
Bios you can paste
Use as written, or trim. Please keep the facts as they are.
Short (about 40 words)
Raghu Vamsi Kadiri is a Hyderabad-based social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Marpu Foundation, a volunteer-led nonprofit he registered at 18. He originated the Volunteer-First CSR framework and works with companies, colleges and governments across India.
Medium (about 90 words)
Raghu Vamsi Kadiri (Kadiri Raghu Vamsi) registered Marpu Foundation in 2019, at 18, to give people who want to help a structure that lets them. Marpu now reports a community of more than a million volunteers, 250+ partner companies and programmes in 23+ states, built without foreign funding. Raghu originated Volunteer-First CSR, set out in a 2026 SSRN working paper, created OurVolunteer.com for employee volunteering, and wrote How to Start an NGO in India. His honours include the Karmaveer Chakra (2019) and ET Edge’s Champions of Impactful CSR Leader (2025).
Sources
Independent and primary sources a jury can check.
- The Hans India: Lending a helping hand with missionary zeal (7 June 2020)
- The Hans India: Power of five impacts thousands: Marpu and how! (11 October 2020)
- Telangana Today: SuchirIndia Foundation announces Sankalp Tara Award winners (29 November 2021)
- Inc91: Transforming communities: Marpu Foundation’s call for corporate partnership in sustainable development (10 May 2023)
- The CSR Universe: India charts bold path at CASCA 2025, the nation’s largest climate action platform (April 2025)
- Deccan Chronicle: How Hyderabad’s NGOs are building an inclusive, equitable future (26 February 2026)
- SSRN: Volunteer-First Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Goal Localization: Evidence from India’s Largest Volunteer-Led Social Impact Network
- Global Shapers Community, Hyderabad Hub
- Marpu Foundation: About the founder
Good to know
Is Raghu eligible for under-30 lists?
Yes, for the next few cycles. He was 18 when he registered Marpu Foundation in July 2019. Always check the exact age cut-off date of the list you are nominating for.
Who can verify facts for a nomination?
Write to hi@kadiriraghuvamsi.com. Facts about Marpu Foundation can also be confirmed with the foundation at connect@marpu.org.
Can I use his photographs in a nomination?
Yes. Use the photos in the press kit, with the credit line given there.
Does Raghu know I am nominating him?
Only if you tell him. A short email or WhatsApp message is enough, so he can respond quickly if the organisers contact him.
Nominated Raghu? Let him know.
A short email or WhatsApp message is enough, so he can respond quickly if the organisers get in touch.
Need documents for due diligence?
Certificates, letters and photographs are available on request, with your deadline.