For the tribal village of Thanikandi, situated 30kms outside of Coimbatore, even the barest of amenities is considered a luxury, including education. When Isha Foundation adopted the village, its top priority was establishing a school for basic education. Additionally, providing the children with proper clothing, footwear and food earned the confidence of the children’s parents. It also strives towards creating employment opportunities for the adults so that their basic needs are met and their children are freed to focus on education. Thus, informally, Isha Vidhya was born, with the broad objective of bringing quality education to the often neglected rural areas.

The first Isha Vidhya School opened on June 19, 2006 in Coimbatore, enrolling 263 students from 26 nearby villages. The schools presently cater to more than 2,800 students from nearby villages, with approximately 60% of students supported by full scholarships.