There are many ways to volunteer in India and plenty of organizations to choose from. The right one looks after you well and places you where your help is genuinely wanted. Here, in ten points, is what you can expect when you volunteer with us.
1. A local team since 2004
Volunteering India is based in New Delhi and has welcomed volunteers since 2004, from more than 30 countries. Our coordinators live here, not in an overseas office, so the team that replies to your first email is the team that greets you when you arrive.
2. Airport pickup and a proper orientation
We meet you at Delhi airport between 8am and 8pm on your start date, or at Jaipur airport or railway station, and take you to your accommodation. In your first days there is a half-day orientation on safety, culture, getting around and what to wear, and your coordinator goes with you to your project the first time so you know the way.
3. Help at any hour
Your coordinator checks in with you and with your project while you are here, and our team can be reached at any hour, every day of your stay. A lost phone, a fever or a question about the train to Agra: whatever it is, call us.
4. You live with other volunteers
In Delhi, home is a hostel in the south of the city, near the Metro, shared with volunteers from our other projects. In Jaipur, you can stay at our volunteer house or with a host family. At the hostel and the house you share a room with volunteers of the same gender, and there is nearly always someone to have dinner with or plan a weekend trip with.
5. Home-style vegetarian food
Meals are vegetarian Indian home cooking: dal, vegetable curries, rice and roti. Delhi includes breakfast and dinner from Monday to Saturday, and Jaipur three meals a day. If you have a special diet, tell us before you arrive.
6. A choice of Delhi or Jaipur
In Delhi, you can work with street children, at women’s centers or in special needs care, or join our medical internship at a private hospital. In Jaipur, which we added in 2026, you can assist in schools, help at a children’s shelter or a women’s center, teach small groups at a slum school, or help repair and paint buildings that serve the community. See all our programs.
7. Stays from one week
Delhi programs run from one to 18 weeks and Jaipur programs from one to 12, so you can come for a week of your vacation or for a whole season. If you are short on time, the two-week mini break plans everything for you. You can also combine programs, for example the Hindi and culture week followed by a placement.
8. Clear prices, with the deposit included
Programs start from $495 for one week, and every program page shows the full price for each length of stay. The booking deposit that holds your place is part of that price, not an extra, and the rest is due 45 days before you start. Our what’s included page lists what the price covers and what it doesn’t, and why pay to volunteer? shows where the money goes.
9. Responsible from the start
Local staff stay in charge of every project, and volunteers never work alone with children. Anyone working with children or vulnerable adults needs a clean criminal background check, and orientation covers our code of conduct. We don’t place volunteers in orphanages. And our elephant work is at a rescue center, with no riding and no performing.
10. Weekend trips, arranged for you
Project days run Monday to Friday. At the weekend, join one of our weekend trips: a day at the Taj Mahal, three days on the Golden Triangle, a weekend in Jaipur, or the train to Amritsar or Varanasi, with transport, hotels and guides taken care of. If you would rather travel on your own, your coordinator can help you plan.
Any questions about volunteering with us? Email info@volunteeringindia.com, or read what past volunteers say on our reviews page.