Winter 2024
The first calls
A handful of neighbours across Bengaluru and Mysuru began sharing ration, lifts and childcare through a small WhatsApp group. Word spread.
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Our storyNeighbours, looking out for neighbours.
FreeNation India is a grassroots community network. We formed to solve everyday problems together — practical mutual aid, local organising, and a place to belong for anyone in Karnataka who wants one.
Our mission
To make Karnataka a place where no one falls through the cracks.
We build the kind of community that used to be the norm — one where you know your neighbours, where help arrives before you have to beg for it, where the difficult days do not have to be faced alone. We do it locally, patiently, and without asking anyone's religion, caste or politics at the door.
Our vision
A network of self-organising communities that outlast any one of us.
We want small groups of neighbours, in every city, meeting regularly and looking after each other by default. The measure of success is not the size of our organisation. It is the strength of the ties between the people it brings together.
What we believe
Five principles we hold to.
People first
Every decision starts with the person in front of us. Systems serve people, not the other way round.
Peaceful and lawful
We organise in the open, within the law, and without harming or intimidating anyone. Full stop.
Non-partisan
We are not a political party and we do not endorse candidates. Everyone welcome, no strings.
Locally led
Decisions are made by the people they affect. Every city runs its own group, its own way.
Transparent
We publish what we do, how we do it, who is accountable, and how we spend anything that comes in.
Rooted in Karnataka
Made here, run from here, for the people who live here. Proud of the place, careful with it.
How we got here
Started small. Growing steadily.
Spring 2025
First meetups
Weekly meetups start in three cities. A shared name — FreeNation India — and a simple code of conduct are agreed by everyone involved.
April 2025
Section 8 incorporation
Incorporated as a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act 2013, CIN U85300KA2025NPL178943. Board of six directors, unpaid. Full record on the governance page.
Summer 2025
Skills evenings and community kitchens
Volunteers begin running skills-swap evenings, basic first-aid sessions, and small ration banks for anyone who needs a hand between paydays.
Autumn 2025
A public voice
@freenationtoday on X becomes the public face of the network — updates, calls for help, and coordination across cities.
2026
This year
Local groups running in eleven cities and neighbourhoods. Safeguarding policies published. New meetups still starting wherever members step forward.
The team
Volunteers, not employees.
Everyone below gives their time. No one takes a salary from the network. Roles rotate.
Community Coordinator
Shreya Hariharan
Keeps the local groups talking to each other and holds the calendar of meetups.
Mutual Aid Lead
Jai Menon
Coordinates ration, essentials and neighbourly help across the network.
Events & Meetups
Priya Nair
Plans public events and helps new cities get their first meetup off the ground.
Youth & Family
Tarun Deshpande
Runs family sessions and supports groups working with young people.
Safeguarding Officer
Aisha Rahman
Named point of contact for safeguarding concerns. See our safeguarding policy.
Want to help?
Whether you have an hour a month or an hour a week, there is a place for you.