MITRA was started in November 2000 as an entrepreneurial initiative by a four alumni from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), India , with support from ICICI, India’s second largest financial group. MITRA is registered as a not-for-profit company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 in December 2001.

MITRA as an organisation has evolved dramatically since conception 7 years ago, from an organisation focusing on using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to bring about change in the social sector, to today an organisation about using people, their skills and expertise, to bring about that change.