Sree Narayana Trust has been one of the pioneer educational agencies in the field of higher education in Kerala since 1940. The Trusts is named after the Sage, Saint, Social reformer, Philosopher and mystic poet, Sree Narayana Guru who was the embodiment of universal fraternity and love. He was the chief architect behind the social renaissance in Kerala and the institutions under the Trusts follow the footsteps of Guru whose motive is to imbibe strength through organization and to seek liberation through education. SN Trusts aims at realizing the high ideals of Guru who professed the welfare of all without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or religion. The Sree Narayana Trusts was formed by the former Chief Minister of Kerala Sri R.Sankar in 1952 for managing the Sree Narayana College, Kollam. Later educational institutions were started all over Kerala for the upliftment of the socially and educationally backward strata of the society. At present there are 50+ educational institutions and 4 hospitals.
SNDP founded schools and colleges in the independent India. Previously the only private colleges were those managed by the Church. The movement started with SN College, Kollam. Many educational institutions were started under leadership of SNDP yogam. But soon it became quite difficult to maintain many such institutions by the yogam whose main objective was prophesy of guru's vision among the masses. Under such circumstances, under the leadership of late CM of kerala Mr R. Sankar, SN trust was started.