HCLTech's Shiv Nadar tops Hurun Philanthropy List 2023, four Infosys co-founders emerge as biggest philanthropists

The EdelGive Hurun India’s Philanthropy List for 2023 features the generous contributions made by prominent individuals and families associated with major IT services companies including HCLTech, Wipro and Infosys. According to Money Control, citing the list, Hurun India found 119 philanthropists who donated more than Rs 5 crores in the financial year 2023, up by 11 from last year. There were 25 new entrants who debuted on the list, the ‘most generous’ among them were Infosys co-founder K Dinesh who donated Rs 47 crore. Here’s a summary of the key philanthropists mentioned in the list:

1. Shiv Nadar - Founder of HCLTech: Shiv Nadar retained the title of India’s most generous philanthropist for the third time in five years, having donated Rs 2,042 crore in the financial year 2023. This equates to approximately Rs 5.6 crore donated per day.
2. Azim Premji and family - Wipro: Azim Premji and his family donated Rs 1,774 crore, securing a prominent position on the list.
3. Mukesh Ambani and family - Reliance Industries: The Ambani family donated Rs 376 crore, demonstrating their commitment to philanthropy.
4. K Dinesh - Infosys Co-Founder: Infosys co-founder K Dinesh donated Rs 47 crore, making him one of the ‘most generous’ new entrants on the list.
5. Nandan Nilekani - Infosys Co-Founder: Nandan Nilekani ranked 8th on the list with a donation of Rs 189 crore.
6. Rohini Nilekani - Philanthropist: Rohini Nilekani, wife of Nandan Nilekani, ranked 10th in the top 10 list with a donation of Rs 170 crore.
7. Kris Gopalakrishnan - Infosys Co-Founder: Kris Gopalakrishnan donated Rs 93 crore and ranked 15 on the list.
8. SD Shibulal - Infosys Co-Founder: SD Shibulal donated Rs 35 crore and secured the 29th position on the list.

In total, the top 10 philanthropists on the list donated Rs 5,806 crore in FY23, a significant increase compared to the previous year. “This year is a record year for big philanthropy. In the past 5 years, the number of donors contributing over INR 100 crore has surged from 2 to 14, and those donating over INR 50 crore has risen from 5 to 24. Given India’s potential for wealth creation and assuming a continued commitment to philanthropy by billionaires, I anticipate these figures to potentially double over the next 5 years,” Money Control quoted Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and Chief Researcher, Hurun India, as saying. “Wealth creation is important for economic development, while philanthropy is equally important for economic prosperity. I am incredibly enthusiastic about the surge in personal philanthropy in India. Cumulative personal donations have increased by 60% to reach Rs 4,958 crore, constituting 70 percent of the total donations in the list,” he added. The report also noted a growing trend of personal philanthropy in India, with cumulative personal donations increasing by 60 per cent to reach Rs 4,958 crore, which constitutes 70 per cent of the total donations in the list. The report highlighted the significant increase in the number of donors contributing over INR 100 crore in the past five years, indicating a growing commitment to philanthropy among India’s wealth creators. The youngest philanthropist mentioned is Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, who, along with his brother Nithin Kamath, donated for climate and sustainability-related causes. Accel Partners India’s Prashanth Prakash and wife Amitha Prashanth debuted on the list with a donation of Rs 9 crores, also marking the entry of venture capitalists into the top philanthropists list. Other prominent entrepreneurs to find a mention include Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, who invested Rs 20 crore into education related causes through 3 State Ventures, Radha Vembu of Zoho Corporation who donated Rs 13 crore for rural development and serial entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala and wife Zarina who invested Rs 22 crore through Unilazer Ventures into education.