Top personal philanthropists in India – 2020

Twenty-one individuals have donated INR 5 crore or more in their personal capacity with Azim Premji leading the list of philanthropists.

Twenty-one individuals have donated INR 5 crore or more in their personal capacity.  Azim Premji has committed 67% of economic interest in Wipro towards philanthropic activities. Shiv Nadar has donated INR 689 crore through Shiv Nadar Foundation. Ajay Piramal & family, and Kumar Mangalam Birla & family have donated INR 184 crore and INR 123 respectively to the education sector. Nandan Nilekani and Rohini Nilekani individually donated INR 159 crore and INR 47 crore respectively. In FY 20, they donated more than INR 100 core towards a societal platform aimed at creating a shared space to solve problems at scale, with speed, and sustainably.

Top 21 personal philanthropists in India – 2020

Rank: 1           
Name: Azim Premji & family
Company: Wipro
Donation (INR crore): 7,770 
Primary Cause: Education

Description: Azim Premji has committed 67% of economic interest in Wipro towards philanthropic activities. In 2020, the promoter holdings in Wipro earned a dividend of INR 422 crore and the 2019 share buyback programme fetched another INR 7,347 crore – all of these would be donated towards philanthropy based on his endowment pledge.

Rank: 2           
Name: Shiv Nadar & family
Company: HCL Technologies
Donation (INR Crore): 689   
Primary Cause: Education

Description: Shiv Nadar runs the Shiv Nadar Foundation that supports rural education and provides scholarships to underprivileged students to study abroad. In FY20, Shiv Nadar donated INR 689 crore through Shiv Nadar Foundation.

Rank: 3           
Name: Ajay Piramal & family
Company: Piramal
Donation (INR Crore): 184   
Primary Cause: Education

Description: Ajay Piramal runs the Piramal Foundation, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The foundation supports primary healthcare & nutrition, education leadership and women & youth empowerment and enabling access to safe drinking water. The foundation’s initiatives are a reflection of the group’s core values and corporate philosophy of “Doing Well and Doing Good”. By donating INR 184 crore, Ajay Piramal becomes the 3^rd ranker personal philanthropists in 2020.

Rank:   4
Name: Nandan Nilekani
Company: Infosys
Donation (INR Crore): 159
Primary Cause: Sustainable Development

Description: Nandan Nilekani is an Indian entrepreneur. He co-founded Infosys and is the non-executive chairman of Infosys replacing R Seshasayee and Ravi Venkatesan, who were the co-chairs of the board. Nandan Nilekani and Rohini Nilekani individually donated INR 159 crore and INR 47 crore respectively. In FY 20, they donated more than INR 100 core towards Societal Platform, aimed at creating a shared space to solve problems, at scale, with speed, and sustainably. Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined ‘The Giving Pledge’, an elite network of the world’s wealthiest individuals, committing half their wealth to philanthropy, in 2017.

Rank:   5
Name: Kumar Mangalam Birla & family
Company: Aditya Birla
Donation (INR Crore): 123
Primary Cause:  Education

Description: With a donation of INR 123 crore, Kumar Mangalam Birla & family rank 5th in personal Philanthropy List 2020. On 3rd April 2020, Aditya Birla Group donated INR 400 crore to the PM CARES Fund and INR 50 crore to FICCI-Aditya Birla CSR Centre for Excellence. They also allocated INR 50 crore for supplying N95 Masks, PPEs and ventilators. Kumar Birla was amongst the youngest philanthropist in 2016 with a donation of INR 21 crore.

Rank:   6
Name: Yusuffali M A
Company: Lulu
Donation (INR Crore): 68
Primary Cause: Healthcare
Description:   Yusuff Ali M. A. is a UAE-based Indian billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and managing director of LuLu Group International that owns the LuLu Hypermarket chain worldwide and LuLu International Shopping Mall. In financial year 2020 Yusuffali MA donated INR 68 crore to the health sector. In 2019 Yusuffali MA became the highest donor with INR 32 crore towards the cause of disaster relief and management.

Rank:   7
Name: S Gopalakrishnan & family
Company: Infosys
Donation (INR Crore): 50     
Primary Cause: Health
Description: The list has three of Infosys co-founders with Nandan Nilekani (Rs 159 crore), S Gopalkrishnan (Rs 50 crore) and S D Shibulal (Rs 32 crore).  Senapathy Gopalakrishnan, popularly known as Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures, a company supporting and funding start-ups, is a former executive vice- chairman of Infosys, a global consulting and IT services company based in India. He is also one of its seven founders. 

Rank:   8
Name: Sanjiv Goenka & family
Company: CESC
Donation (INR Crore): 50
Primary Cause: Healthcare
Description: As the Chairman of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, he spearheads one of India’s leading business conglomerates. He is also the Chairman of CESC Limited and chairs the boards of a number of companies such as Phillips Carbon Black Limited and Spencer’s Retail Limited. In FY 2020, Sanjiv Goenka donated INR 50 crore for the cause of healthcare. 

Rank:   9
Name: Rohini Nilekani
Company: Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
Donation (INR Crore): 47
Primary Cause: Environmental Sustainability

Description: Rohini Nilekani is an Indian writer, author and philanthropist. She is the founder-chairperson of Arghyam Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on water and sanitation issues, founded in 2001. She also chaired the Akshara Foundation, which focuses on elementary education. Nilekani serves as the co-founder and director of non-profit education platform, EkStep. Nandan Nilekani and Rohini Nilekani individually donated INR 159 crore and INR 47 crore respectively. In FY 20, they donated more than INR 100 core towards Societal Platform, aimed at creating a shared space to solve problems, at scale, with speed, and sustainably. Some of her flagship philanthropic initiatives include EkStep – an open learning platform, Arghyam – a water management and sanitation initiative, and Pratham Books – a children’s book publisher.

Rank:   10
Name: Anil Agarwal & family
Company:  Vedanta
Donation (INR Crore): 42
Primary Cause: Healthcare

Description: The founder and chairman of Vedanta, Anil Agarwal, pledged 75% of his wealth to charity in September 2014. In 2020 Anil Agarwal donated INR 42 crore to the health sector. He occupies the 10th position in EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020 by contributing INR 42 crore. Agarwal contributes to charitable activities through Anil Agarwal Foundation as well as the Vedanta Foundation. The foundations work towards education and computer literacy, vocational training, women & child empowerment and community welfare.

Rank:   11
Name: SD Shibulal & family
Company: Infosys
Donation (INR Crore): 32
Primary Cause: Healthcare
Description: S. D. Shibulal, better known as Shibulal, is an Indian business executive. He was the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys, and one of its seven founding members. Along with Nandan Nilekani and S Gopalkrishnan, S D Shibulal becomes the third from Infosys among the big donors. Shibulal donated 32 crore personally.  

Rank: 12         
Name: Anu Aga & family
Company: Thermax
Donation (INR Crore):  31
Primary Cause: Education

Description: Anu Aga is on the board of Thermax Limited, the $800 million Indian energy and environment management company. She retired as chairperson in October 2004. She began her industry career in Thermax in 1985. In 1996, after her husband Rohinton Aga passed away, she took over as executive chairperson of the Thermax Group and two years later became non-executive chairperson. Anu Aga & family have committed 30% of their dividend income towards philanthropic causes.  She was awarded with the Mumbai Women of the Decade Achievers Award by All Ladies League, the all ladies wing of ASSOCHAM. In the FY 2020 Anu Aga contributed INR 31 crore towards the cause of education. 

Rank: 13         
Name: Amit & Archana Chandra
Company: A.T.E. Chandra Foundation
Donation (INR Crore):  27
Primary Cause: Environmental Sustainability
Description: The husband-wife duo of Amit and Archana Chandra of A.T.E. Chandra Foundation are the only individuals not featured in the Hurun rich lists to enter the EdelGive Hurun India and only professional managers to ever enter the list. Philanthropy List 2020. Amit and Archana Chandra of A.T.E. Chandra Foundation donated INR 27 crore.

Rank: 14         
Name: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Company: Biocon
Donation (INR Crore): 24
Primary Cause: Education

Description: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the first woman to sign The Giving Pledge. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw holds 60.68 per cent of the shares of the company. She has committed to giving away half of her income towards philanthropy on an annual basis. In 2004, Mazumdar-Shaw started a corporate social responsibility wing at Biocon, the Biocon Foundation. The foundation focuses on health, education and infrastructure, especially in rural areas of Karnataka which lack healthcare facilities.  The Biocon Foundation is involved in numerous health and education outreach programmes to benefit the economically weaker sections of Indian society. In FY 2020 Kiran Mazumdar Shaw contributed INR 24 crore for the cause of education.

Rank: 15         
Name: Ronnie Screwvala
Company: Unilazer Ventures
Donation (INR Crore): 19
Primary Cause: Rural Development
Description: Rohinton Soli “Ronnie” Screwvala is a first generation Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He has been named on Esquire’s List of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century and ranked 78 among the 100 most influential people in the world on the Time 100. Ronnie Screwvala donated 19 INR crore for rural development.

Rank: 16         
Name: Samir Mehta & Sudhir Mehta
Company: Torrent Pharmaceuticals
Donation (INR Crore): 17
Primary Cause: Healthcare
Description: The Mehtas were the second most generous family in Gujarat after Adanis. Sudhir and Samir Mehta gave away 182 per cent more donations towards healthcare, according to the list. In FY 2020 Samir Mehta personally donated INR 17 crore towards the cause of healthcare. Last year Samir Mehta & Sudhir Mehta contributed INR 32 crore to the healthcare sector.  

Rank: 17
Name:  Cyrus S Poonawalla & Adar Poonawalla
Company: Serum Institute of India
Donation (INR Crore):  13
Primary Cause: Education
Description: Cyrus S. Poonawalla, also known as the vaccine king of India, is an Indian Parsi businessman, and the chairman of Poonawalla Group, which includes Serum Institute of India, the Indian biotech company that manufactures paediatric vaccines. Adar Poonawalla is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Serum Institute of India. Poonawalla donated INR 13 crore towards the cause of education in FY 2020. Serum Institute of India Chairman Cyrus S Poonawalla seizes the 17th rank in EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020. The Villoo Poonawalla Charitable Foundation takes part in education, healthcare, providing drinking water, sanitation, and environmental protection and conservation initiatives.

Rank: 18
Name: Kochouseph Chittilappilly & family
Company: V-Guard Industries
Donation (INR Crore): 12
Primary Cause: Disaster Relief
Description: Kochouseph Thomas Chittilappilly is an Indian business magnate, writer, investor and philanthropist. He is the founder Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of V-Guard Industries and a chain of amusement parks called Wonderla. In the FY 2020 Chittilappilly donated INR 12 crore for disaster relief in India.

Rank: 19
Name: Joy Alukkas
Company: Joy Alukkas
Donation (INR Crore): 8
Primary Cause: Livelihood Enhancement
Description: Joy Alukkas is an Indian businessman from Kerala and the founder of a distinguished conglomerate with a notable presence in Asia, US and Europe. In the FY 2020, he donated INR 8 crore for livelihood enhancement. After the devastating Kerala Floods in September 2018, the Joyalukkas Foundation announced that it would build 250 houses for those who have lost their homes.

Rank: 20
Name: Ranjan Pai
Company: Manipal Education & Medical
Donation (INR Crore): 7
Primary Cause: Education
Description: Medical doctor Ranjan Pai controls Manipal Group, an education and healthcare empire with six colleges and 16 hospitals. Pai donated INR 7 crore towards education and healthcare in 2020 and ranked 20 among 21 philanthropists in India.

Rank: 21
Name:  Binny Bansal
Company: Investments
Donation (INR Crore): 5
Primary Cause: Education
Description:  Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, who has debuted on the 2020 Hurun India and EdelGive list of top philanthropists, is also the youngest on the list. Among the leading philanthropists in the country, start-up consultancy xto10x Technologies’ Co-founder Bansal was ranked 21^st with a donation of INR 5.3 crore during the financial year 2020 for education as the primary cause. Importantly, Bansal was the only leader from the start-up ecosystem to make it to the year’s list. Binny Bansal is the first philanthropist under the age of 40 to enter the philanthropy list.

Related reports:
▪ Philanthropy picks up in India in 2020
▪ Top 10 philanthropists in India – 2020
▪ Top 7 Women philanthropists in India – 2020
▪ Top 10 popular philanthropic causes – 2020
▪ Top Philanthropic cities – 2020

— With inputs by Mohammad Mujtaba, an intern from Jamia Millia Islamia.