FAQ

What is the mission of Desi Knowledge?
Desi Knowledge aims to make children of Indian origin proud of their rich heritage.

How do you help fulfill this mission?
We offer parents a lot of useful books and media to make it easy to introduce India's languages, history, mythology etc. to their kids -- and we donate a portion of each purchase to education in India.
We also have a very rich blog, The Balancing Desi, where we cover topics that we experience as parents balancing two cultures in our families. We also have a Facebook presence, where you can connect and discuss with others like you on how you raise kids in two cultures.

When was Desi Knowledge started?
Desi Knowledge was founded in 2003. Over the years, we have served literally thousands of customers through our online store, co-sponsored local kids events with India Community Center, and given back through organizations such as Vibha. Some important milestones for our work have been getting approved as a federally-recognized nonprofit organization and being selected as the official USA and Canada partner for Amar Chitra Katha.

How are you a nonprofit organization?
We have an educational charter -- and all our sales go towards the cost of the books/media, maintaining the operations, growing our reach, and giving back.

Who is behind Desi Knowledge?
It was started by me, Monica Khosla -- a mom of two in California. I pretty much work with a small group of volunteers, including our virtual blogging team.

I represent a temple (or other nonprofit organization). Can Desi Knowledge give us materials at a discount?
Yes. Several temples have asked for Amar Chitra Katha comics, which we can provide single issues for 40% off list ($1.80 each). They can be used for fundraising events, as they are usually sold at list price of $3.00. In order to get this discount, please call us; we will ask for your organization's 501 c(3) certificate to be faxed to us.

Where is Desi Knowledge located?
Even though our products originate from far away, they are all stocked right here in USA. Your order is filled and shipped from our warehouse in California.

How soon does Desi Knowledge ship my order once I place it?
We ship either the same day or the next business day!

Where do you ship to?
We ship to USA and Canada.

How does Desi Knowledge ship my order?
Desi Knowledge offers several different options through the US Postal Service (USPS):
- USPS Media Mail: Media Mail is the most economical choice and takes approximately 1-2 weeks.
- USPS Priority Mail: Priority Mail generally requires 2-3 days to arrive.
- USPS Express Mail: Express Mail is the fastest service the USPS offers. Deliveries can be expected as soon as overnight.
- USPS Airmail: We use this service for all international orders. This takes 1-3 weeks.

How much is shipping?
Shipping rates are very reasonable -- and we offer free shipping with $40 purchase (within continental USA).

How long does it take for me to receive my order once placed?
Each order ships from our warehouse the next business day after the order is placed. The actual delivery time differs depending on the type of shipping you have selected. Complete information on delivery time is available on our shipping information page.

How can I know my order status once I've placed my order?
Our goal is complete customer service, and tracking orders is no different. As soon as your order ships we will send you a confirmation email with an order tracking number. Each shipment can be tracked online via the Postal Service’s website (www.usps.com).

Is it safe to put my credit card information?
Of course! Desi Knowledge guarantees you the absolute security with every transaction. You can use PayPal or Google checkout, which don't share payment information with any vendor.
Also, if you choose to checkout through our site, you can be certain that your credit card information is safe. Our site uses both data encryption and instant processing via a gateway to ensure the highest level of security. You’ll know that your data is safely encrypted when the page requiring your credit card information has a lock icon ( ) on it. This icon indicates that information is being sent over a secure connection. Gateway processing means that the information never goes to us. Instead, it is routed to a merchant gateway called Authorize.net, a service trusted by shoppers at over 100,000 web-based merchants. Authorize.net your transaction in a couple of seconds -- all while you are online. What this all means is that Desi Knowledge doesn’t ever touch your information and that your privacy and critical data are processed safely and securely.