Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025: Shiv Nadar tops list with ₹2,708 cr donation. Check full list
The top 10 philanthropists together contributed ₹5,834 crore, accounting for 56% of total giving and marking a 26% increase over 2024. Following Nadar, Mukesh Ambani & family ranked second. The Bajaj family retained third place with ₹446 crore in donations.
- Nov 6, 2025,
- Updated Nov 6, 2025 2:50 PM IST
India’s philanthropic landscape has witnessed a record-breaking surge, with the country’s most generous individuals collectively donating ₹10,380 crore in 2025 — an 85% jump over the past three years — according to the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025. The list features 191 philanthropists, including 12 new entrants, signaling a growing momentum in India’s culture of large-scale giving.
At the helm once again is Shiv Nadar & family, founder of HCL Technologies, who retained the title of India’s Most Generous for the fourth time in five years. With annual donations totaling ₹2,708 crore — equivalent to ₹7.4 crore per day — Nadar’s giving rose 26% year-on-year. Most of his contributions were directed through the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which supports education and arts and culture initiatives across India.
The top 10 philanthropists together contributed ₹5,834 crore, accounting for 56% of total giving and marking a 26% increase over 2024. Following Nadar, Mukesh Ambani & family ranked second with ₹626 crore in donations — up 54% — largely through the Reliance Foundation, which focuses on education, healthcare, rural transformation, and women’s empowerment. The Bajaj family retained third place with ₹446 crore in donations, continuing their legacy of rural development through the Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Trust and the Kamalnayan Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation.
Kumar Mangalam Birla & family maintained fourth position with ₹440 crore, followed by Gautam Adani & family at fifth with ₹386 crore. The list also saw Nandan Nilekani (₹365 crore), the Hinduja family (₹298 crore), Rohini Nilekani (₹204 crore), Sudhir and Samir Mehta (₹189 crore), and Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla (₹173 crore) rounding off the top 10.
Among notable movements, the Hinduja family, Sudhir and Samir Mehta, and Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla entered the top 10 this year, underscoring the diversification of high-value philanthropy in India. Rohini Nilekani emerged as the most generous woman philanthropist, contributing ₹204 crore toward education and social development through Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and EkStep.
The report underscores India’s widening base of high-impact donors. The number of individuals giving over ₹100 crore annually has increased from just two in 2018 to 18 in 2025. Likewise, 33 philanthropists donated more than ₹50 crore, and 70 gave over ₹20 crore this year. The average individual donation rose from ₹43 crore in 2024 to ₹54 crore in 2025.
Over the past five years, the top 25 philanthropists have together donated nearly ₹50,000 crore — averaging ₹46 crore per day. Entry thresholds have risen dramatically: the bar for making it to the top 10 has more than doubled since 2020, from ₹74 crore to ₹173 crore.
Notably, Ranjan Pai, Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group, broke into the ₹100-crore league with donations worth ₹160 crore, placing him among the top five most generous individuals in personal capacity. The “Infosys family” — comprising Nandan Nilekani, Rohini Nilekani, Kris Gopalakrishnan, K. Dinesh, and Kumari Shibulal — collectively contributed over ₹850 crore, setting a new benchmark for corporate-linked philanthropy.
Professional and venture philanthropists also made a mark, contributing nearly ₹800 crore over three years. Key names include A.M. Naik (₹54 crore), Amit and Archana Chandra (₹47 crore), and Prashanth Prakash and Amitha Prashanth (₹17 crore).
Regionally, Mumbai leads as India’s philanthropy hub, home to 28% of donors, followed by New Delhi (17%) and Bengaluru (8%). Sectorally, the pharmaceutical industry represents the largest share of donors (16%), followed by software, automobile, and petrochemical sectors.
Education remains India’s top philanthropic cause, drawing ₹4,166 crore from 107 donors. The number of self-made philanthropists rose to 101, while women philanthropists increased to 24 this year.
On the corporate side, Reliance Industries stood out with ₹1,309 crore in CSR spending, exceeding its mandated requirement by ₹261 crore. Rungta Sons and Jindal Steel & Power also surpassed their CSR obligations by ₹114 crore and ₹100 crore, respectively.
India’s philanthropic landscape has witnessed a record-breaking surge, with the country’s most generous individuals collectively donating ₹10,380 crore in 2025 — an 85% jump over the past three years — according to the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025. The list features 191 philanthropists, including 12 new entrants, signaling a growing momentum in India’s culture of large-scale giving.
At the helm once again is Shiv Nadar & family, founder of HCL Technologies, who retained the title of India’s Most Generous for the fourth time in five years. With annual donations totaling ₹2,708 crore — equivalent to ₹7.4 crore per day — Nadar’s giving rose 26% year-on-year. Most of his contributions were directed through the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which supports education and arts and culture initiatives across India.
The top 10 philanthropists together contributed ₹5,834 crore, accounting for 56% of total giving and marking a 26% increase over 2024. Following Nadar, Mukesh Ambani & family ranked second with ₹626 crore in donations — up 54% — largely through the Reliance Foundation, which focuses on education, healthcare, rural transformation, and women’s empowerment. The Bajaj family retained third place with ₹446 crore in donations, continuing their legacy of rural development through the Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj Trust and the Kamalnayan Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation.
Kumar Mangalam Birla & family maintained fourth position with ₹440 crore, followed by Gautam Adani & family at fifth with ₹386 crore. The list also saw Nandan Nilekani (₹365 crore), the Hinduja family (₹298 crore), Rohini Nilekani (₹204 crore), Sudhir and Samir Mehta (₹189 crore), and Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla (₹173 crore) rounding off the top 10.
Among notable movements, the Hinduja family, Sudhir and Samir Mehta, and Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla entered the top 10 this year, underscoring the diversification of high-value philanthropy in India. Rohini Nilekani emerged as the most generous woman philanthropist, contributing ₹204 crore toward education and social development through Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and EkStep.
The report underscores India’s widening base of high-impact donors. The number of individuals giving over ₹100 crore annually has increased from just two in 2018 to 18 in 2025. Likewise, 33 philanthropists donated more than ₹50 crore, and 70 gave over ₹20 crore this year. The average individual donation rose from ₹43 crore in 2024 to ₹54 crore in 2025.
Over the past five years, the top 25 philanthropists have together donated nearly ₹50,000 crore — averaging ₹46 crore per day. Entry thresholds have risen dramatically: the bar for making it to the top 10 has more than doubled since 2020, from ₹74 crore to ₹173 crore.
Notably, Ranjan Pai, Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group, broke into the ₹100-crore league with donations worth ₹160 crore, placing him among the top five most generous individuals in personal capacity. The “Infosys family” — comprising Nandan Nilekani, Rohini Nilekani, Kris Gopalakrishnan, K. Dinesh, and Kumari Shibulal — collectively contributed over ₹850 crore, setting a new benchmark for corporate-linked philanthropy.
Professional and venture philanthropists also made a mark, contributing nearly ₹800 crore over three years. Key names include A.M. Naik (₹54 crore), Amit and Archana Chandra (₹47 crore), and Prashanth Prakash and Amitha Prashanth (₹17 crore).
Regionally, Mumbai leads as India’s philanthropy hub, home to 28% of donors, followed by New Delhi (17%) and Bengaluru (8%). Sectorally, the pharmaceutical industry represents the largest share of donors (16%), followed by software, automobile, and petrochemical sectors.
Education remains India’s top philanthropic cause, drawing ₹4,166 crore from 107 donors. The number of self-made philanthropists rose to 101, while women philanthropists increased to 24 this year.
On the corporate side, Reliance Industries stood out with ₹1,309 crore in CSR spending, exceeding its mandated requirement by ₹261 crore. Rungta Sons and Jindal Steel & Power also surpassed their CSR obligations by ₹114 crore and ₹100 crore, respectively.