EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025: Shiv Nadar, Ambani, Nilekani Lead India's Biggest Donations
India's top philanthropists donated a record Rs 10,380 crore in FY2025, marking an 85% rise over three years. Shiv Nadar and family led again with Rs 2,708 crore, followed by Mukesh Ambani with Rs 626 crore. The Infosys co-founders, led by Nandan and Rohini Nilekani, donated over Rs 850 crore. Education remained the dominant beneficiary sector, with growing institutional philanthropy and new big donors emerging.
The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025 highlights a historic surge in charitable giving by India’s wealthiest, with total donations reaching Rs 10,380 crore, an 85% increase over the past three years. Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL Technologies, topped the list for the fourth time in five years with Rs 2,708 crore in donations focused on education, arts, and culture via the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Mukesh Ambani and family followed with Rs 626 crore, surpassing their statutory CSR mandate through the Reliance Foundation, which works across healthcare, rural development, education, and women's empowerment. The Infosys founders, including Nandan Nilekani, Rohini Nilekani, Kris Gopalakrishnan, and others, collectively gave over Rs 850 crore, marking the largest single corporate group contribution in Indian history. New philanthropists like Ranjan Pai and Venu Srinivasan entered the top ranks, reflecting a growing culture of wealth being redirected to social causes. The number of donors contributing over Rs 100 crore grew from two in 2018 to eighteen in 2025, underscoring the trend toward large-scale, institutional philanthropy, with 104 donors setting up foundations and 88 donating via NGOs. Education received Rs 4,166 crore from 107 donors, making it the most favored sector, followed by healthcare and rural development. Geographically, Mumbai leads with 28% of philanthropists, followed by New Delhi and Bengaluru. The pharma sector is the largest industry source of donors, at 16%, with software, auto, and chemicals also well represented. The list reflects a maturing philanthropic ethos among India’s wealth creators, positioning giving as a legacy and parallel to entrepreneurship.
