Rs 2,153 crore! Shiv Nadar tops EdelGive-Hurun India’s philanthropy list; Ambanis rank second

With Rs 2,153 crore of contribution, Shiv Nadar and family have topped EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024 for the third time in five years. The list also identified names like Mukesh Ambani and family, the Bajaj family, Kumar Mangalam and family, Gautam Adani and family as the top 10 philanthropists who contributed Rs 4,625 crore collectively in FY24. 

According to the list, Shiv Nadar (79), founder-chairman of HCL Technologies increased his contributions by 5 per cent as compared to FY23. The Shiv Nadar Foundation was established in 1994 and focuses on education, arts and culture. As per the report, Nadar donated Rs 5.9 crore every day. 

Mukesh Ambani (67), who helms Reliance Industries, made it to the second spot with contributions to the tune of Rs 407 crore. The Bajaj family climbed three spots to feature in the third place with contributions of Rs 352 crore. The Bajaj family’s donations increased 33 per cent from FY23. 

Kumar Mangalam Birla (57) was the next name on the list with contributions of Rs 334 crore. EdelGive-Hurun India stated that 30 per cent of the amount comes from Birla’s personal funds. 

“The threshold to enter India’s top 10 philanthropists has doubled, now reaching Rs 154 crore, up from Rs 83 crore five years ago. Additionally, the number of individuals donating over Rs 100 crore has increased to 18, compared to just 9 in 2019. This number of Rs 100 crore donors is impressive, considering that China — with nearly twice as many billionaires and a GDP five times larger than India’s — has ‘only’ 25 philanthropists donating over Rs 100 crore,” said Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher, Hurun India. 

Billionaire Gautam Adani (62) made a philanthropic contribution of Rs 330 crore, bagging the fifth spot on the EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024. His contributions reflect a 16 per cent increase over the previous year. “Their charitable initiatives are primarily funnelled through the Adani Foundation, with the largest share of their donation directed towards education, followed by efforts in skill development and community health programs,” stated the report.

Co-founder of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani (69) was sixth on the list with a donation of Rs 307 crore, reflecting a 62 per cent increase from the previous year. His wife, Rohini Nilekani (65) is the most generous woman on the list with donations of Rs 154 crore, and is 10th on the list of top 10 philanthropists. Rohini Nilekani is the co-founder and director of EkStep, a non-profit education platform. 

Krishna Chivukula, 52, Chairman of INDO MIM, has made his debut on the EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024. With donation of Rs 228 Cr to IIT Madras, Chivukala  secured the seventh position. His contribution marks the largest in the institution’s history. 

In the eighth position is Anil Agarwal and family with donations of Rs 181 crore made through Vedanta's philanthropic and CSR arm, Anil Agarwal Foundation. He is followed by Susmita & Subroto Bagchi with contributions of Rs 179 crore. They established the Bagchi School of Public Health at Ahmedabad University in 2023 to revolutionise public health education and research in the country. 

Naghma Mulla, CEO, EdelGive Foundation, said that the EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024 serves as a beacon for the sector and an example for the potential of giving.