Foundation for Democratic Reforms in India is a US based non-profit organization formed in 1998 to promote electoral, democratic, and governance reforms in India so that India emerges as a prosperous country where all its citizens have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.

FDRI’s model of governance reforms includes free, fair, and informed elections, decriminalization of politics, rule of law, judicial and administrative reforms, self-correcting institutions with checks and balances, and implementation of best practices from all over the world.

There are several US based organizations doing wonderful work in several fronts in India in areas like education, healthcare etc. FDRI fully realizes the importance of such efforts and supports the work of these organizations. However, FDRI’s mission is fundamentally different and is crucial to the success of the other organizations. FDRI is not working for a single cause, but is a movement towards changing the very shape of the governance structure of India. It is our belief that individual charitable projects are limited in their potential and often are hampered by poor governance. While the satisfaction derived from educating a poor child or providing drinking water to a parched village is inherently satisfying and immediately gratifying, the success of governance and electoral reforms is much less visible, but will have far reaching implications, much beyond a single individual or a community.

We believe that the success of FDRI in achieving governance reforms would multiply several folds the beneficial impact of the other charitable organizations as well as impart permanence to the causes they serve.