IT pioneer Shiv Nadar retains 'India's most generous' title in 2023

Bengaluru: Topping  EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023, HCL Technologies founder Shiv Nadar retained the title of 'India's most generous' for the third time in five years. With a donation of Rs 5.6 crore per day, the IT pioneer cumulatively donated Rs 2,042 crore during the year. 

Wipro's Azim Premji bagged the second spot with an annual donation of Rs 1,774 crore. Author Rohini Nilekani once again emerged as the most generous woman philanthropist, while Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath stood as the youngest on the list.

“This year is a record year for big philanthropy. In the past 5 years, the number of donors contributing over Rs 100 crore has surged from 2 to 14, and those donating over Rs 50 crore has risen from 5 to 24,” Anas Rahman Junaid, managing director and chief researcher of Hurun India said, adding that he anticipates the figures to double over the next five years.

Overall, the 2023 list featured 119 philanthropists who donated a total of Rs 8,445 crore during the year, 59 per cent higher compared to last year. This list saw 25 new entrants, led by Infosys co-founder K Dinesh with a donation of Rs 47 crore.

India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, with his family donated Rs 376 crore during the year, securing the third position on the list.

Donations by those in personal capacity, however, saw a dip, with 24 individuals donating Rs 5 crore or more, as opposed to 26 last year. 

Education continued to remain the most favoured philanthropic cause, followed by healthcare. Remarkably, donations towards environment and sustainability surged by 31 per cent year-on-year touching Rs 143 crore in 2023.

“While creating the most authoritative lists of philanthropists in India, our aim is to document and analyse the evolving patterns of philanthropic giving in the country,” highlighted EdelGive Foundation Chief Executive Naghma Mulla.

The tenth annual ranking of India’s most generous individuals tracked philanthropic donations of Rs 5 crore or more between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.