India’s Top Philanthropists 2024: Shiv Nadar, Mukesh Ambani Lead with Major Donations, Hurun Report Reveals
Shiv Nadar tops Hurun’s 2024 philanthropy list with Rs 2,153 crore. Mukesh Ambani, Rohini Nilekani, and Krishna Chivukula also feature prominently as India’s leading philanthropists, contributing to a total of Rs 8,783 crore.
India philanthropists donated a cumulative total of Rs 8,783 crore in FY24, 4% higher than last year and 55% higher than the FY22 level, the EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024 said. The list of notable contributors is led by Shiv Nadar who topped the 'India's Most Generous' list for 2024 at Rs 2,153 crore. Of all the donations from business leaders at report, Nadar's was the education-focused contribution, making up nearly a quarter of the total philanthropy.
Other biggies who donated here were Mukesh Ambani and Rohini Nilekani, the latter giving Rs 154 crore, the former Rs 407 crore. Krishna Chivukula is a new entrant to the list, donating Rs 228 crore to IIT Madras, hence becoming the most munificent of the new entrants. With promoting Indo MIM, a high-precision metal component company based in Bengaluru, Chivukula has seriously contributed to technology education.
Zerodha co-founders Nithin and Nikhil Kamath have pledged Rs 120 crore; Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, who contributed Rs 179 crore to the list, feature in the top 10.
High-value philanthropy has grown steadily
The list of Indians donating over Rs 100 crore every year is growing, from two in 2018 to 18 in 2024. Nandan Nilekani headed the increase list with a Rs 118 crore leap in his donation amount this year. Harish Shah and the Signet Excipients family leaped 53 places to be in the 22nd place with Rs 78 crore donations.
Perhaps, as comments the chief researcher at Hurun and founder Anas Rahman Junaid postulates, the top 10 list reflects the balance in the spectrum of Indian philanthropy-from the first-generation entrepreneurs Shiv Nadar and Adani to the established family names Ambani, Bajaj and Birla. Entrepreneurs like Nandan Nilekani and Subroto Bagchi, after building successful businesses, are now deeply committed to philanthropy.
Calculations are based on the shareholding of individuals in companies, and the list is compiled by surveying successful entrepreneurs, consulting charitable foundations, and analyzing the corporate social responsibility data provided by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Philanthropy in India is at an all-time high, and the 2024 Hurun report reflects the increased interest among entrepreneurs to give back to the community, education being the most prominent sector among the donors.