About

Our Journey

2018 – Humble Beginnings

Dr. Manish Jain left his corporate career to launch Kineer Services (now Kineer Garima Foundation) with a mission to empower India’s transgender community. Inspired by a life‑changing encounter, he partnered with CSR leader Pooja Jain and activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi to create dignified livelihood opportunities for marginalized people.

Their first venture, Kineer – a trans‑led bottled water brand (from Kinar meaning trans person and Neer meaning water), was managed entirely by transgender employees, providing hundreds of community jobs. From the very beginning, Kineer forged partnerships with Vistara Airlines, Lalit Hotels, Sodexo, and Serum Institute to distribute the water and sustain the mission of inclusion.

2020 – Skill & Relief

By 2020, Kineer Garima Foundation began scaling its programs to empower the community on multiple fronts. We launched Trans‑formation, a skill‑training and career‑placement initiative for LGBTQ+ individuals. Through free workshops in hospitality, retail, and IT, we opened the doors to quality employment, and by 2023, 450+ community members had been trained and placed in dignified careers.

When the COVID‑19 pandemic struck, we pivoted to emergency relief with our Forgotten Families campaign. This nationwide ration‑kit drive reached over 4.5 lakh trans and LGBTQ+ households, ensuring no one went hungry. The impact was so profound that the initiative was featured on Discovery Channel’s “Bharat ke Mahaveer”, honoring our humanitarian efforts.

2021 – Vaccinations & Outreach

In 2021, we expanded our support to protect the community during the pandemic. Partnering with Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla’s Villoo Poonawalla Foundation and Apollo Hospitals, we launched Parivartan Ka Teeka – a Pan‑India free COVID‑19 vaccination drive dedicated to transgender individuals.

Through this initiative, thousands in the community received life‑saving vaccines at no cost, ensuring that no one was left behind in the fight against COVID‑19. This program became a symbol of inclusion in public health, bridging gaps that had long left the trans community vulnerable.

2022 – Making History & Earning Honors

2022 was a landmark year for Kineer Garima Foundation. We made national headlines by becoming the first transgender‑led team to pitch on Shark Tank India, an appearance hailed as “history in the making” that spotlighted transgender entrepreneurship and the drive for dignity.

Our leadership also received prestigious recognitions this year:

  • Pooja Jain was honored as one of India’s “50 Under 50” Most Inspirational Women 2022.

  • Kineer earned the National Achievers Award (Social Entrepreneur of the Year), Excellence in Skill Development, multiple CSR honors, and the Mahatma Gandhi Samman at the UK Parliament, affirming our impact on social inclusion and empowerment.

2023 – Celebrating Community

In 2023, Kineer Garima Foundation expanded into arts and cultural empowerment, creating platforms to celebrate transgender talent and visibility.

  • Kinnar Mahotsav: Our flagship talent festival brought together dance, music, fashion, and performances, with its second edition in Pune hosting 900+ transgender performers and guests from across India. These events showcased the community’s incredible artistry and helped break social barriers.

  • Trans Cricket League: Continuing our push for inclusion in every space, we hosted India’s first national transgender cricket tournament, building pride, solidarity, and visibility through sports.

By the end of 2023, we proudly marked five years of transforming lives, growing from a single idea into a nationwide movement for inclusion and dignity.

2024–2025 – Continuing the Mission

Building on years of impact, Kineer Garima Foundation is forging new collaborations and expanding its reach.

  • Pride & Outreach: Participation in pride marches, large‑scale health camps, and urban inclusion drives is giving transgender and PWD voices a platform in mainstream society.

  • Capable India: Our CSR program for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) reflects our broadened vision of inclusion, creating employment and livelihood opportunities beyond the LGBTQ+ community.

As of 2025, our journey remains driven by the belief that dignity and opportunity must be universal. Each year adds new chapters of community health, skill‑building, and social transformation, carrying forward the same inspiring purpose that began in 2018.

Passionate leaders driving inclusion and empowerment.

Pooja Jain

 Co- founder of Kineer Garima Foundation

Pooja has vast rich work experience and has spent 2 decades working in the Corporate Sector both in the Hospitality and Telecom Industry and is now working towards creating awareness on the plight of the transgenders in India and towards bringing in a paradigm shift in the lives of the transgender communities by providing dignified job opportunities for this neglected community members. Empowering LGBTQ into a Skilled workforce is her main motive. It was under her leadership the first Housekeeping skilled training workshop was executed for the marginalised community members for a janitorial role and were successfully trained & placed at various MNCs which further strengthened our vision of walking firmly on this path. She has played an integral role in various Kineer campaigns during the pandemic era like Project Trans-formation- skill Development initiative, Parivartan ka Teeka- vaccination drive, Forgotten families- where in dry ration kits were distributed Pan India. Pooja also supports social cause for Dr Sindhutai Sapkal Ashrams for the underprivileged orphanage children. Beti ki shaadi was a big campaign where in 9 daughters wedding arrangements had to be done. She believes that its good to work for your own self being but is greater to work selflessly for others. She is a woman of substance and is recognised as 50 under 50 most inspirational women 2022 by Fox Story and also has been recognised as the 100 most powerful personalities in India by Glantor News.

Dr. Manish Jain

 Co- founder of Kineer Garima Foundation

Manish, along with his team Kineer, has been working towards the upliftment and mainstreaming of the marginalized transgender community in India. His efforts under project Trans-formation have led to the skill development and job placement of over 450 transgender members. His initiative Forgotten Families has seen dry rations distributed to over 5 lakh transgender members across the country and has been showcased as Bharat kay Mahaveer by Discovery channel. Another noteworthy initiative – Parivartaan ka Teeka has seen free covid vaccinations being administered to the community members across the country. His initiative Kinnar Mahotsav nurtures the transgender artists and provides platforms to showcase their talent. He has also initiated a packaged drinking water brand – Kineer, which employs only transgender members to give them a chance to live with their head held high. He has also set the World record for maximum transgender members trained and placed for free.

Sidhant Jain

 Co- founder of Kineer Garima Foundation

Sidhant Jain is a creative strategist and digital innovator who bridges media, technology, and social impact. With expertise in advanced 3D animation, web development, and social media marketing, he transforms ideas into immersive digital experiences that captivate audiences and build meaningful connections.

At Kineer Garima Foundation, Sidhant drives the organization’s digital presence and creative direction, crafting impactful campaigns that champion LGBTQ+ inclusion and empower marginalized communities. His work reflects a deep belief in creativity with purpose, using design and media to inspire change and create lasting social impact.

LGBTQ+ individuals empowered through our initiatives
0 +
Community members trained & skilled for sustainable careers
0 +
Successful job placements & livelihood opportunities created
0 +
Corporate & CSR partnerships supporting inclusivity
0 +