Being successful and rich is much more than your net worth or the amount you cumulate as your bank balance it is also about how much you give back to society as an influential member. As Indians are excelling in various ventures and accumulating billions in their bank, there has also been an increase in philanthropic ideas among billionaires. The country which is home to 169 billionaires around the world, is anticipated to witness an increase of 18% CAGR from FY22 to FY27, according to the Dasra and Bain & Company report on India’s family philanthropy.
Here’s a list of the top Indian philanthropists, whose generosity has helped those in need and the country’s overall growth:
Shiv Nadar- HCL Technologies
Shiv Nadar, the 78-year-old founder of HCL, has emerged as the most charitable Indian during this time, having given more than Rs 3 crore per day on average in FY22 and an annual donation of Rs 1,161 crore as per Business Today reports.
Azim Premji- Wipro
Azim Premji of Wipro, who donated Rs 484 crore annually, sits behind him in second place. Premji is the only Indian included in the EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of the Century list who is still alive, according to Business Today. This year, however, Premji donated less money overall by Rs 9,000 crore “due to the share buyback in 2021 benefiting the foundations directly,” as asserted by CNBC TV-18 report.
Mukesh Ambani- Reliance Industries
Mukesh Ambani is one of the richest men in the world and has a net worth of $95.1 billion as per Forbes. According to a report by the Times Of India, Mukesh Ambani donated Rs 411 crore in a year. According to their official website, Reliance provides logistical and financial support, teacher capacity building, and infrastructure improvement to local schools. For local communities, Reliance also organises programmes for revenue generation and skill development.
Kumar Mangalam Birla- Aditya Birla Group
The Times Of India reported Kumar Mangalam Birla donated Rs 242 crore in 2022 putting him in the fourth position. With a net worth of $16.5 billion, he is the ninth richest man in the country. The fourth-generation leader of the illustrious Aditya Birla Group, with a $65 billion (revenue) market cap, he is the chairman and is often referred to as the commodities king.
Susmita and Subroto Bagchi- Mindtree
The co-founders of Mindtree secured the fifth position on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List, last year and they donated Rs 213 crore from their philanthropic arm.
Susmita, Subroto, Radha, and NS Parthasarathy are ranked fifth in the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022 with a total donation of INR 425 crore to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) as per The Times Of India report.
Gautam Adani- Adani Group
Gautam Adani fulfilled his commitment of Rs 60,000 crore ($7.7 billion) as an act of donation as reported by The Hindu, in 2022. According to the report, the donation makes him one of India’s most benevolent donors. Through the family’s 1996-established Adani Foundation, the funds will be used towards healthcare, education, and skill development. Gautam Adani is at present, the richest man in the country with a staggering net worth of $150 billion.
Anil Agarwal- Vedanta
Anil Agarwal and his family have boosted their contribution by 27% to Rs. 165 crore. Anil Agarwal, a mining and metals billionaire, transformed a small scrap metal company into Vedanta Resources, which has its headquarters in London. Agarwal paid more than $1 billion for the third of the metals company that he did not already own, taking Vedanta private in October 2018 as per Forbes. He had a net worth of $2.01 billion, as per Forbes.
The other philanthropists who have generously contributed are Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, who gave Rs 159 crore, and A.M. Naik, executive chairman of L&T, who donated Rs 142 crore as per Mint reports.
