Posted On: 2023-03-06 17:22:39
Giving to charities has a long history in India. While there are wonderful examples of institution-building support, especially in the early years of independent India, traditional Indian philanthropy has mainly focused on supporting and enabling the delivery of essential services and creating livelihood opportunities, particularly in the areas of health care and education for the needy and in remote areas.
In response to the unpredictable challenges imposed by the pandemic, civil society organisations joined forces with governments to ensure the last-mile delivery of a number of government services and goods. This attempt was widely appreciated by both top government officials and society at large.
From Rs 2,318 crore in FY18 to Rs 5,666 crore in FY22, overall donations have increased by a factor of two. This shows that people in India have given more to charity in the last four years from FY18 to FY22 and it has been only progressive since then. The world is celebrating women’s history month in March 2023. With India having a long history in giving to charity, let’s look at the top women philanthropists in India in 2022.
1. Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani has worked as a journalist, author, and social activist. Rohini Nilekani, the chairwoman of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and the wife of Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, has been engaged in active citizenship for over 30 years. Most of her donations were made in the fields of ecology, sanitation, and education, but her good works have covered a variety of topics. Rohini has secured assistance for initiatives over India through Arghyam, a nonprofit she set up in 2001 for sustainable water and sanitation.
2. Leena Gandhi Tewari
Leena Gandhi Tewari of the pharmaceutical enterprise USV, one of the wealthiest women in India, rose to the rank of second-most giving Indian lady after contributing an amount of 21 crores. Last year, the USV chairperson gave 23 crores to a charity. She created the Dr Susheela Gandhi Centre for Social Development to aid the destitute women of Vakola, Maharashtra. The centre supports multiple education and learning of the town's women and girls. Girls are led through student learning, dance classes, and computer classes at the facility.
3. Anu Aga & Family
The former chairwoman of Thermax Ltd., Anu Aga was ranked as the seventh richest Indian woman. She is the third most generous woman in India, having given approximately 20 crore rupees to charity foundations. Anu, the current chairperson of Teach For India, is renowned for committing a lot of time to the causes she endorses. Along with the Akanksha Foundation, the Thermax Social Initiative Foundation (TSIF) manages nine primary government schools in Pune and Mumbai. Anu also provides money to causes like Teach For India and Give India that foster education. In acknowledgement of her work in the social sector, she received Padma Shri in 2010.
4. Manju Gupta
Manju D. Gupta is the chairwoman of the large pharma company Lupin Pharma. Her children Vineta and Nilesh are presently in charge of the $ 2 billion business. In 2022, she gave a contribution of 16 crores more toward the advancement and growth of the nation's rural areas. In 2020, she was classified as India's fifth-richest lady.
5. Renu Munjal
Renu Munjal is the Managing Director of Hero FinCorp and serves as a director on the Board of Easy Bill. Renu has participated in several CSR initiatives, including setting up and operating a K–12 school and a centre in skills courses. She is also fully engaged in initiatives related to women's empowerment. In FY22, Renu Munjal and her family contributed Rs 10 crore for disaster relief.
The Bottom Line…
Philanthropy is a way that can help society get rid of all the challenges like poverty, impoverishment, unemployment, lack of education and others. While these women are on top of the philanthropy list, you can start small and one step at a time. Filaantro is a crowdfunding platform that raises funds for every genuine cause that one believes in. We fundraise for a cause, the cause that is close to your heart and has all your hard work, just like these women to be at the top of the philanthropy list. Visit filaantro.org to know more about crowdsourcing.
Author: Anjali Patel
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