Azim Premji donated ten times more than even Shiv Nadar And Mukesh Ambani in 2020

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Prabhjote GillApr 29, 2021, 17:09 IST
Azim Premji donated ten times more than even Shiv Nadar And Mukesh Ambani in 2020

With ​Azim Premji (centre), Shiv Nadar (left) and Mukesh Ambani (right) in the lead, India’s philanthropic efforts have hit an all-time highBCCL/BI India

  • India’s ‘IT Czar’, Azim Premji, is the most generous man in India donating at least ten times more money than anyone else in the country.
  • Whereas, India's richest man, Reliance Industries’ Chairman Mukesh Ambani, comes third in the overall ranking.
  • In 2020, the overall donations on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List, reached an all-time high of ₹9,324 crore.
  • Here’s a quick look at the top 10 most generous people in India.
Philanthropic efforts by some of the richest people in India, including the likes of Mukesh Ambani, Azim Premji, and Shiv Nadar, are at an all-time high. 90 of the biggest philanthropists in India have cumulatively donated ₹9,324 crore.

The number of people who have donated more than ₹10 crore has increased by 100% over the last two years from 37 to 80, according to the Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020.

The average age of the individuals on the list is 66, which is two years older than last year’s average. The average age is three years older than the entrepreneurs that made the cut for Hurun India’s Rich List.

“Binny Bansal is the first philanthropist under the age of 40 to enter the philanthropy list… I hope this will inspire more young wealth creators to not only donate but also to speak more about their donations,” said Anas Rahman Junaid, managing director and chief researcher at Hurun India.

Overall, there were 30 new additions to the list led by Am Naik, the chairman of Larsen & Toubro, who donated ₹76 crore.

But only seven female philanthropists are featured on the list — and none of them are in the top 10.

Where are India’s biggest billionaires donating their money?
Education was the most favoured cause accounting for 79% of the total donations recorded by Hurun and Edelgive.

It was followed by healthcare, which registered an increase of 137% over 2019 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster and relief management which saw a jump of 240% year-on-year.

Here’s a quick look at the biggest philanthropists in India and the donations that they have made:
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1. ​Azim Premji and family — ₹7,904 crore

1. ​Azim Premji and family — ₹7,904 crore
Azim PremjiBCCL

Primary cause: Education

Company: Wipro

Azim Premji — the founder chairman of Wipro — has been dubbed ‘India’s most generous’ by the Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020. With a donation of ₹7,904 crore, Premji and his family topped the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020. He has donated 10 times more than the second person on the list, Shiv Nadar and family.

The Azim Premji Endowment Fund owns 13.6% of the IT Czar’s shareholding in Wipro and has the right to receive all money earned from promoter shares.

On 1 April 2020, Azim Premji Foundation committed ₹1,000 crore for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak along with ₹100 crore from Wipro and ₹25 crore from Wipro Enterprises — a sum total of ₹1,125 crore.

These donations are in addition to the annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of Wipro, and the routine philanthropic efforts of the Azim Premji Foundation.

“Azim Premji is a role model for Indian philanthropy and is continuing to inspire other entrepreneurs into giving,” said Rahman.

2. Shiv Nadar and family — ₹795 crore

2. Shiv Nadar and family — ₹795 crore
Shiv NadarBCCL

Primary cause: Education

Company: HCL Technologies

After Azim Premji, HCL Tech’s Shiv Nadar is India’s second most generous man. Nadar attributes his success to education and scholarships that he received early in his life. And, hence, most of his donations are focused on ensuring good quality education.

As of 2019, Nadar has invested over $800 million through the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Nadar’s wife, Kiran Nadar, chairs the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. It is India’s first private philanthropic art museum exhibiting modern and contemporary works from India and other parts of the subcontinent.

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3.​ Mukesh Ambani and family — ₹458 crore

3.​ Mukesh Ambani and family — ₹458 crore
Mukesh AmbaniBCCL

Primary cause: Disaster relief

Company: Reliance Industries

The richest man, not just in India, but all of Asia ranks third on the Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020.

Last year, on 30 March, Reliance Industries announced a donation of ₹500 crore to the PM CARES Fund and ₹5 crore each to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund of Maharashtra and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund of Gujarat to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

4. Kumar Mangalam Birla and family — ₹276 crore

4. Kumar Mangalam Birla and family — ₹276 crore
BCCL

Primary cause: Education

Company: Aditya Birla

This is Kumar Mangalam Birla’s debut in the top five most generous people in India, and he’s the youngest entrepreneur to feature within the top ten.

On 3 April 2020, Aditya Birla Group donated ₹400 crore to the PM CARES Fund and ₹50crore to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)-Aditya Birla CSR Centre for Excellence.

He also allocated another ₹50 crore specifically for supplying N95 Masks, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and ventilators.

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5. Anil Agarwal and family — ₹215 crore

5. Anil Agarwal and family — ₹215 crore
Anil AgarwalBCCL

Primary cause: Healthcare

Company: Vedanta

Anil Agarwal, the founder and chairman of Vedanta, along with his family occupy the fifth spot on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020.

Agarwal has been stepping up his philanthropic effects since September 2014, when he pledged 75% of his wealth to charity. The Anil Agarwal Foundation works towards education and computer literacy, vocational training, women and child empowerment, and community welfare.

6. Ajay Piramal and family — ₹196 crore

6. Ajay Piramal and family — ₹196 crore
Ajay PiramalBCCL

Primary cause: Education

Company: Piramal Enterprises

The Piramal Foundation partnered with Bill Gates foundation back in November 2019 to set up a Tribal Health Collaborative that will work closely with the Indian government to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in time for the 2030 deadline.

Moreover, on 31 March 2020, the Piramal Group committed ₹25 crore to PM CARES Fund once the COVID-19 pandemic had crossed over into India.

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7. Nandan Nilekani — ₹159 crore

7. Nandan Nilekani — ₹159 crore
Nandan NilekaniBCCL

Primary cause: Sustainable development

Company: Infosys

Co-founder and chairman of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani, ranks seventh on EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020. Nandan Nilekani and his wife, Rohini Nilekani, signed the Giving Pledge in 2017 — a commitment to donate half of their wealth towards philanthropy.

Nilekani is one of three Infosys co-founders to make it onto the list along with S Gopalakrishnan who donated ₹50 crore and SD Shibulal with ₹32 crore.

8. Hinduja Brothers — ₹133 crore

8. Hinduja Brothers — ₹133 crore
Hinduja BrothersBCCL

Primary cause: Healthcare

Company: Hinduja

The Hinduja brothers, Srichand Hindu and Gopichand Hinduja, rank eighth on the philanthropy list. Established in 1968, Hinduja Foundation focuses on water stewardship, healthcare, education, rural development, as well as arts and culture.

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9. Gautam Adani and family — ₹88 crore

9. Gautam Adani and family — ₹88 crore
Gautam AdaniBCCL

Primary cause: Education

Company: Adani

Gautam Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group who has recently been caught in the controversy of doing business with the Myanmar military, ranks ninth on the list.

Adani Foundation works in four key areas — education, community health, sustainable livelihood, and community infrastructure development. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Adani Foundation announced ₹100 crore donation to the PM CARES Fund on 29 March 2020.

10. Sudhir Mehta and Samir Mehta — ₹82 crore

10. Sudhir Mehta and Samir Mehta — ₹82 crore
Samir MehtaBCCL

Primary cause: Healthcare

Company: Torrent Pharmaceuticals

The brothers, Sudhir Mehta and Samir Mehta, are at the helm of the UNM Foundation. It carries out social and philanthropic activities for the Mehta Family and Torrent Group. Its primary focus areas include community healthcare, education and knowledge enhancement as well as social care and concern.

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