Mumbai: Mumbai has stood out as the philanthropy capital of India by being home to India's biggest donors who donated a cumulative amount of Rs2,649 crore in the last year. HCL founder Shiv Nadar and family retained the title of being India's most generous with a donation of Rs2,708 crore, followed by Reliance Industries’ Mukesh Ambani and family, who donated Rs626 crore.
High-networth Indians spent a total of Rs10,380 crores towards philanthropy in the Financial Year 2024-25, revealed the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025. The 12th annual ranking includes 191 individuals, including 24 women philanthropists who donated more than Rs5 crore each towards charity. HCL founder Shiv Nadar, 80, and his family topped the list of biggest donations by donating Rs2,708 crore, which equals to Rs7.4 crore per day.
Mumbai, which has consistently topped Hurun India's wealth list and rich list, has also topped the philanthropy list. Around Rs2,649 crore was donated by 57 of the biggest philanthropists, which made 28% of the total of the country. This was followed by Delhi with 35 donors and Bengaluru with 16 donors. The Ambani family, which featured as the wealthiest family in Hurun India's wealth list, was the most generous donor from Mumbai, with a donation of Rs626 crore. His company Reliance Industries contributed Rs1,309 crore to corporate social responsibility, surpassing the required mandatory spend by Rs261 crore.
Education remains the favourite philanthropic cause in India attracting 40% of the total donations. About 107 philanthropists donated approximately Rs4,166 crore, which was 13% higher than last year. The Nadar family was the highest donor for this cause with a donation of Rs2,392 crore. This was followed by healthcare with a donation of Rs971 crore. Other causes included, environment, arts, culture and heritage, rural transformation, research and development, ecosystem building, sports, water conservation and community development.
A total of 24 women featured on the list with Rohini Nilekani, 66, chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and director of EkStep NGO, donating Rs204 crore towards ecosystem building. Other women include Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Bina Shah, Anu Aga, Sheela Kochouseph, Leena Gandhi Tiwari, Kumari Shibulat and Archana Chandra among others. While Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamat, 39, featured as the youngest philanthropist with a donation of Rs147 crore, Sonalika Foundation's Lachman Das Mittal and Shree Cement's Benu Gopal Bangur, both aged 94, were the oldest with a donation of Rs18 crore and Rs33 crore respectively.
Talking to The Free Press Journal, EdelGive's chief executive officer Naghma Mulla said, “We can not make a wild guess about the actual amount of philanthropy that happens in India since a lot of it happens secretly and in cash transactions. However, this is not enough and a country of 1.4 billion people can do much better than this. Every person donating towards a cause should inspire five more people into it.” She added that climate and gender are poised to become bigger causes in the upcoming years.
Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India, said, “Indian philanthropy is being shaped by four key wealth-creation groups including multi-generation family businesses, new-age entrepreneurs, NRIs and capital providers. As India evolves into a truly wealthy nation, it is poised to become a global role model in philanthropy, living by the ancient Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.” He projected that tech startup founders will stand out as the biggest and youngest philanthropists in the upcoming years.
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