Top Philanthropists in India

Top Philanthropists in India - The CSR Journal 26/04/22, 10:49 PM
Top Philanthropists in India

Kasmin Fernandes and Hency Thacker February 5, 2021
Giving back to society has always been a part of the Indian culture.
Inheriting the values and teachings from great social leaders such as
Mahatma Gandhi, Indians have always believed in contributing some
part of their earnings towards the welfare of society, as per their
personal capacity. The capitalists of the country are not any
different.
Indian businessmen, in addition to getting involved in the decision

making of CSR policies and allocation of funds towards it, also
perform philanthropic initiatives on a personal level. These
philanthropists have made substantial contributions by donating
their wealth, time as well as energies for social development in the
country. In this respect let us look at the top philanthropists of India.
1. Azim Premji
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Azim Premji, the founder-chairman of Wipro Ltd. is known as ‘India’s

most generous man’. Premji’s endowments are the largest in Asia and
among top five in the world. In 2020, he topped the list of
philanthropists in India by the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List
2020 with donations worth Rs. 7904 crores. This accounts for about
Rs. 22 Crores per day.
He has committed earnings from 67 per cent of Wipro’s shares

towards the Azim Premji charitable foundation.
A strong believer of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of trusteeship,

Premji has committed his entire wealth towards philanthropy. His
total commitment amounts to about Rs. 1.45 lakh Crores which is
about $21 billion, placing him in the same league as Bill Gates,
George Soros and Warren Buffett.
Speaking about his philanthropic nature, Amit Chandra, managing

director, Bain Capital said, Premji’s grant for the nation matches only
what Jamsetji Tata and Dorabji Tata have done from a historical
perspective.”
He added, “Over the last 150 years, he stands out remarkably tall for
what he has really done in the last 10 years.”
2. Shiv Nadar & Family
Shiv Nadar, the tech czar and the founder of HCL Technologies
ranked second in the 7th edition of the list of philanthropists in India
by the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020 with donations
worth Rs. 795 crores. He topped the list in the 6th edition.
Nadar, known as one of the early philanthropists donates its

proceeds towards Shiv Nadar Foundation, which implements various
projects. The Foundation is committed to the creation of a more
equitable, merit-based society by empowering individuals through
transformational education to bridge the socio-economic divide. In
order to achieve that, the Foundation has established institutions and
programs in the underdeveloped disciplinary areas in India related to
rural and urban education and art. The Shiv Nadar Foundation
pursues a philosophy of ‘Creative Philanthropy’. It is a powerful
model which envisages the creation of institutions that go beyond
the lifetime of its founders and continue to impact future generations

for many centuries to come.
3. Mukesh Ambani & Family
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, MD and largest shareholder of Reliance

Industries Limited(RIL), is known as the richest man of India. Ambani
ranks third in the list of the 7th edition of the list of philanthropists in
India by the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020 with
donations worth Rs. 458 crores.
Mukesh Ambani has conducted his philanthropic initiatives by

investing in sectors like education, social, rural development, and
healthcare through Reliance Foundation which is headed by his wife
Nita Ambani. However, the major focus of Ambani family’s
philanthropic initiatives remains on disaster management related

causes. For example, in 2018, when Kerala was hit by monsoon flood,
Ambani donated Rs 71 crore in cash and supplies.
4. Kumar Mangalam Birla
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group is a firm

practitioner of the trusteeship concept of Mahatma Gandhi. Kumar
Mangalam Birla and Family ranked fourth in the 7th edition of the list
of philanthropists in India by the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy
List 2020 with donations worth Rs. 276 crores.
Birla’s philanthropic energies are mainly concentrated around

education-related causes. His proceeds are through Aditya Birla
Foundation which is involved in various education-related initiatives.
It was also involved in the COVID-19 relief work with the support of
Birla Family.
5. Anil Agarwal
Anil Agarwal, the Founder and Chairman of Vedanta donated Rs. 215
crores towards philanthropic causes. This earned him 5th rank in the
7th edition of the list of philanthropists in India by the EdelGive Hurun
India Philanthropy List 2020. In September 2014 Anil Agarwal
pledged 75 per cent of his wealth to charity.
A majority of his donations are directed towards the causes of

healthcare and education. Agarwal believes that philanthropy can
play a central role in supporting the government’s efforts to
eradicate malnutrition by 2030 in line with our commitment to the UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
Anil Agarwal donates his endowments to the Anil Agarwal

Foundation. The Foundation in collaboration with Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, as well as with the Union and state governments,
is working to rapidly eradicate malnutrition from Uttar Pradesh.
His foundation also works towards education and computer literacy,
vocational training, women and child empowerment, and community

welfare.
6. Ajay Piramal
Ajay Piramal, the Chairman of Piramal Group has been involved in

philanthropy all his life. He believes that the wealth earned is not to
keep, but to share – a legacy that he inherited from his Grandfather.
Ajay Piramal and Family ranked 6th in the 7th edition of the list of
2020, with donations worth Rs. 196 crores.
The Piramal family conducts its philanthropic activities through the

Piramal foundation which also acts as the executing agency of the
Piramal Group’s CSR initiatives. The foundation focuses on causes
relating to healthcare, education, livelihood creation and youth
employment.
7. Nandan Nilekani
Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys, and his wife Rohini

Nilekani are signatories to The Pledge initiated by Bill Gates and
Warren Buffet, and have pledged half of their wealth to philanthropy.
The Nilekanis ranked 7th in the 7th edition of the list of philanthropists
in India by the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020, with
donations worth Rs. 159 crores.
A major focus of the philanthropic activities of Nandan and Rohini

Nilekani is education. Rohini Nilekani was a founding trustee of the
Akshara Foundation when setup in March 2000. The Foundation’s
mission is to ensure ‘Every Child in School and Learning Well’. In
2004, she set up Pratham Books, a non-profit publisher of affordable
and good quality children’s books. Its mission is to put ‘a book in
every child’s hand’. The duo set up a societal platform initiative called
‘EkStep’ that provides a digital infrastructure for early learning.
8. Hinduja Brothers
The Hinduja Brothers have inherited philanthropy from their

patriarch, Shri Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja whose core
philosophy was, “My Dharma (duty) is to work so that I can give.” The
Hinduja Brothers ranked 8th in the 7th edition of the list of
2020, with donations worth Rs. 133 crores.
Hinduja Brothers carry out their philanthropic activities through

Hinduja Foundation which is involved in various projects relating to
Rural Development, Education, and Healthcare.
9. Gautam Adani
Gautam Adani, the Chairman of Adani Group claimed the 9th spot in
the 7th edition of the list of philanthropists in India by the EdelGive
Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020, with donations worth Rs. Rs. 88
crore. Adani strongly believes in giving back to society.
Gautam Adani is the president of the Adani Foundation, through

which he carries out his philanthropic activities. The foundation also
carries out the company’s social responsibility initiatives. The Adani
Foundation works in four key areas such as Education, Community
Health, Sustainable Livelihood, and Community Infrastructure
Development, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition to this, the foundation has established the Adani Vidya

Mandir, a school for underprivileged children in Ahmedabad,
Bhadreshwar, and other states and supports 300 government
schools, educating over 100,000 children.
10. Sudhir and Samir Mehta
The Mehta Brothers of the Torrent Group have earned 10th position in
the 7th edition of the list of philanthropists in India by the EdelGive
Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020, with donations worth Rs. 82
crores.
Their contribution to society has led Mehtas to be considered as the

second most generous family in Gujarat after the Adanis. The Mehtas
carry out their philanthropic activities through UNM Foundation.
Their main focus lies in the areas of healthcare, education and
Knowledge enhancement and social care and concern.

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Top Philanthropists in India - The CSR Journal 26/04/22, 10:49 PM

Indian businessmen, in addition to getting involved in the decision

Azim Premji, the founder-chairman of Wipro Ltd. is known as ‘India’s

He has committed earnings from 67 per cent of Wipro’s shares

A strong believer of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of trusteeship,

Speaking about his philanthropic nature, Amit Chandra, managing

2. Shiv Nadar & Family

Nadar, known as one of the early philanthropists donates its

the lifetime of its founders and continue to impact future generations

3. Mukesh Ambani & Family

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, MD and largest shareholder of Reliance

Mukesh Ambani has conducted his philanthropic initiatives by

philanthropic initiatives remains on disaster management related

4. Kumar Mangalam Birla

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group is a firm

Birla’s philanthropic energies are mainly concentrated around

A majority of his donations are directed towards the causes of

Anil Agarwal donates his endowments to the Anil Agarwal

His foundation also works towards education and computer literacy,

vocational training, women and child empowerment, and community

Ajay Piramal, the Chairman of Piramal Group has been involved in

The Piramal family conducts its philanthropic activities through the

Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys, and his wife Rohini

A major focus of the philanthropic activities of Nandan and Rohini

The Hinduja Brothers have inherited philanthropy from their

Hinduja Brothers carry out their philanthropic activities through

Gautam Adani is the president of the Adani Foundation, through

In addition to this, the foundation has established the Adani Vidya

schools, educating over 100,000 children.

10. Sudhir and Samir Mehta

Their contribution to society has led Mehtas to be considered as the

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