The Governing Board consists of seven members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons who have, 

• rendered valuable service to Auroville; 

• dedicated themselves to the ideals of life-long education synthesis of material and spiritual researches or human unity; 

• contributed significantly in activities that are being pursued or are envisaged to be promoted in Auroville, including activities relating to the environment, afforestation, arts and crafts, industry, agriculture, humanities, sciences and integral yoga; 

and of two representatives of the Central Government itself. 

The members, who do not live in Auroville, hold office for a period of 4 years. The Governing Board meets at least twice a year in Auroville.

The general management of the affairs of the Foundation is vested in the Governing Board. Its task is to promote the ideals of Auroville, to review and approve basic policies and programmes, to secure the proper management of all properties, to prepare the master plan and co-ordinate fundraising. Most of these functions are executed in consultation with the Residents' Assembly.

The present members: (September 2004)
By an official notification of the Government of India, the following persons have been nominated to the Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation for a period of four years:

• Dr. Karan Singh ( MP, Rajya Sabha), Chairman;
• Dr. D.P. Chattopadhyaya, Member;
• Shri Ajoy Bagchi, Member;
• Dr. (Smt) Aster Mira Patel ( Resident of Auroville), Member;
• Mr. Roger Anger ( Resident of Auroville), Member;
• Ms. Malini Parthasarthy, Member;
• Ms. Mallika Sarabhai, Member;
• Shri S.K. Ray,( JS & FA)
• In the beginning of 2006 Sri Keshav Desiraju, I.A.S., Joint Secretary (UNESCO), Ministry of HRD, GoI, joined the Board.

Former members include:

• Dr. Karan Singh (ex-chairman), member Rajya Sabha;
• Mr. Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, Maharaja of Puri;
• Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (ex-chairman), Chairman M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation;
• Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, former Academic Director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts;
• Mrs. Bilkees Latif, Chairman Andra Pradesh Social Welfare Board;
• Mr. Ajoy Bagchi, Director People's Commission on Environment and Development (PCED);
• Mr. N. Krishnan, former member of the executive board of UNESCO;
• late Prof. V. Madhusudan Reddy, Chairman of the Institute of Future Studies;
• Mrs. Shantadevi Malwad, writer;
• Mrs. Aster Patel, resident member of Auroville;
• Lt. Gen. (retd.) Ashok Chatterjee, resident member of Auroville.
• Representatives of the Central Government have included
  • Mr. Sudeep Bannerjee;
  • Mr. S.R. Tayal;
  • Mr. Sudhir Nath.
• Mr. Kireet Joshi (ex-chairman),former Registrar Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Chairman Indian Council for Philosophical Research;
• Dr. D.P. Chattopadhyaya, Chairman Centre of Studies of Civilisations, and former Union Cabinet Minister;
• Dr. L.M. Singhvi, MP, eminent jurist and member of Indian Parliament, former Indian High Commissioner in the UK;
• Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap, former Cabinet Secretary Government of India;
• Shri V.K. Pipersenia, IAS, Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser, Dept of Secondary Education and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development;
• Shri C. Balakrishnan, IAS, Joint Secretary, (Planning & UNESCO) Dept of Secondary Education and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development;
• Mrs. Jyothi Madhok;
• Prof. Meera Srivastava.