Shiv Nadar most generous Indian; Ambani, Bajaj family among biggest philanthropists | Top 10 list

Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL Technologies, has once again emerged as India’s most generous individual in the latest EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024, with an annual donation of ₹2,153 crore. Nadar’s contributions, averaging INR 5.9 crore per day, were directed primarily towards education and the arts through the Shiv Nadar Foundation.

Mukesh Ambani, head of Reliance Industries, retained the second spot with a ₹407 crore contribution, channelled through the Reliance Foundation into areas such as healthcare, rural transformation, and disaster management.

The Bajaj family took third place, donating ₹352 crore. The family’s charitable efforts, led by foundations like the Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Trust, focus on rural development, especially in Maharashtra’s Wardha district.

Kumar Mangalam Birla and family, founders of Aditya Birla Group, ranked fourth, with donations of ₹334 crore, while Gautam Adani and family came in fifth, contributing ₹330 crore, largely through the Adani Foundation.

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, took the sixth spot by donating ₹307 crore, ₹118 crore more than the previous year.

Krishna Chivukula, chairman of INDO MIM and a new entrant on the list, has been ranked seventh with a substantial ₹228 crore donation to IIT Madras, making it the largest single donation in the institution’s history.

Vedanta founder Anil Agarwal, ranked eighth, donated ₹181 crore. Anil Agarwal Foundation serves as Vedanta's philanthropic and CSR arm, guided by its mission to "empower communities, transform lives, and facilitate nation-building through sustainable and inclusive growth", according to Hurun India.

Also making a debut in the top 10 are Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, who contributed ₹179 crore.

"Their philanthropic efforts extend to education, exemplified by the establishment of the Bagchi School of Public Health at Ahmedabad University in 2023. Named in their honour, the school aims to revolutionise public health education and research in India," the statement read.

Rounding off the top 10, Rohini Nilekani contributed ₹154 crore, maintaining her position as India’s most generous woman philanthropist.

Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher, Hurun India, said, "Although wealth creation is important for India's economic development, role of philanthropy in achieving wider economic prosperity is an absolute critical path. The EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List over the years aims to be a journal documenting the progress of India's philanthropic evolution."