The Acumen India Fellowship is a seven-month leadership programme for social entrepreneurs in India who already run a working model against poverty. Acumen Academy is the community for builders grounded in moral imagination, solving problems of poverty. Selected Fellows get leadership training with a small cohort, then join Acumen’s global alumni network. Fellows receive no cash grant.
Applications for this cycle closed on 31 October 2026. The official application toolkit is titled for the 2027 intake, and the programme itself runs from March to October 2027. If you are planning for the 2026-27 session, that window has passed. The official page asks people to join its email list to hear about the next fellowship.
What you get
Fellows receive no cash grant. For selected Fellows, Acumen meets the programme’s expenses, including the cost of getting to and staying at the in-person immersives, and the food served there.
The programme runs as a hybrid of virtual sessions, in-person immersives and self-paced learning. It includes a one-day virtual orientation, three in-person immersives of 5 to 6 days, two virtual Learning Labs and self-paced learning between sessions. Acumen expects about 4 to 6 hours a week from Fellows, not counting immersives and labs. You keep running your organisation throughout.
The official pages give two different lengths for a Learning Lab. The programme page describes two labs of 16 hours each, while the FAQ describes a Learning Lab as a 4-hour session. Confirm this with fellows@acumenacademy.org before you plan your time.
After the programme, you join the Foundry, Acumen’s global community of 2,000+ social innovators across 71 countries. Foundry members can apply to Acumen Angels for early-stage capital, but that is a separate and competitive application process. The official FAQ says taking part does not guarantee funding, and that job placement after the Fellowship is not provided.
Who can apply
- Residence: You must be a resident of India. Acumen makes exceptions for applicants with a concrete connection to the country, such as long-term employment or a social initiative focused on India, depending on its local team’s capacity.
- Role: You should be a social entrepreneur or senior decision-maker currently leading an organisation whose mission is to eradicate poverty, working on this full time.
- Experience: At least 5 years of work experience and a commitment to solving poverty. On average, Fellows have 10-15 years of experience, with 10 years on poverty issues.
- Age: You must be over the age of 18 to apply. The official pages give no upper age limit.
- Education: There are no specific academic prerequisites.
- Language: All sessions and training are conducted in English for the India programme, and proficiency is required.
- Internet and time: You need a reliable connection and must be fully available to participate throughout the entirety of the program. Attendance is 100% required.
- Sector: Ideally, you’re working in one or more of Acumen’s impact sectors: quality education, sustainable agriculture, dignified jobs, and renewable energy, or in closely connected areas like healthcare, financial services, water, housing, and rural development.
- Groups encouraged: Applications from underrepresented groups, including women and gender-diverse leaders, for-profit leaders and rural leaders, are encouraged. This is not a reserved category.
Who cannot apply:
- Each cohort must be composed of individuals who have not previously taken part in an Acumen Fellows program.
- Graduates of listed Acumen Academy Leadership Accelerators, including Leadership Essentials for Social Innovators India, are not eligible.
- If you are in the middle of a job change, the official FAQ asks you to consider applying next year.
How to apply
- Read the Applicant Toolkit. It is linked from the programme page and helps you answer questions before you start.
- Submit the online application between 25 September and 31 October 2026. You can save and return to it. Once submitted, you cannot edit it.
- Join the selection conference if shortlisted. It is held virtually on 15 and 16 January 2027.
- Start the Fellowship in March 2027 if selected. You’ll be notified if selected, with support from our team to get you started.
Apply on a laptop, since the mobile experience is not recommended. Google Chrome or Firefox are recommended as your browser. Use the application page or the programme page.
Documents you need
The official sources do not publish a document checklist. The essay questions are part of the application, and recommendation letters are not required. During the later stages of selection, Acumen asks for the contact details of two professional references. Your references should be people you have worked closely with, and they should not be family, friends, or spouses.
How students are selected
Acumen uses several indicators to judge applicants: execution, growth, innovation, influence and sustainability. Sustainability means you have some success in securing external capital or institutional grants. Shortlisted applicants go to the selection conference. On average, Acumen selects about 20 Fellows per year in each region. If two people from one organisation apply, only one of you will advance in the selection process.
Renewal
The official sources do not describe any renewal. Because each cohort must be new to Acumen’s fellows programmes, a person can take part once.
Important dates
- Information sessions: 10 October 2026 and 16 October 2026 (these dates have passed).
- Application window for this cycle: 25 September 2026 to 31 October 2026 (closed).
- Selection conference: 15 and 16 January 2027, virtual.
- Fellowship: March 2027 to October 2027.
Official sources
Checked against these official sources on 5 November 2026.
