₹2,700 Crore in Donations: Shiv Nadar Emerges as India’s Top Philanthropist Again in 2025

Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies, and his family have once again been named India’s most generous philanthropists, according to the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025. They donated a staggering ₹2,708 crore in the last financial year alone, averaging nearly ₹7.4 crore per day. This marks the fourth time in five years that Nadar has topped the prestigious list, demonstrating his deep commitment to social causes, particularly education.

This year’s donations by the Nadar family showed a 26% increase from the previous year and brought their total giving over the past five years to more than ₹10,122 crore. Their philanthropic efforts are primarily channeled through the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which focuses on education initiatives such as Shiv Nadar University and VidyaGyan schools that empower underprivileged students across India.

Trailing behind the Nadar family are other prominent donors: Reliance Industries Chairperson Mukesh Ambani and family donated ₹626 crore, making them the second-largest contributors. Their philanthropy spans healthcare, rural transformation, education, women empowerment, and cultural preservation through the Reliance Foundation. Meanwhile, the Adani family ranked fifth with donations of ₹386 crore, focusing largely on education and community health programs via the Adani Foundation.

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The list, which captures India’s top 191 philanthropists, reveals a robust culture of giving in the country, with the top 10 donors collectively contributing ₹5,834 crore this year, a 26% increase from FY24. Other notable names in the top ten include the Bajaj family, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Nandan Nilekani, and Rohini Nilekani, among others, who continue to drive significant impact across various social sectors.

The rising tide of philanthropy reflects India’s growing focus on inclusive development, with education remaining the primary beneficiary of charitable contributions. Shiv Nadar’s leadership in this sphere continues to set a benchmark for corporate and individual giving nationwide.

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