Daily Giving of ₹1.7 Crore
The 68-year-old billionaire’s contributions translate to nearly ₹1.7 crore per day in FY25. His family’s donation rose by ₹219 crore compared to last year, showing an increasing commitment to education, healthcare, and rural transformation.
Ambani’s philanthropic initiatives are primarily channeled through the Reliance Foundation, which supports causes such as arts and culture, disaster management, heritage conservation, and women empowerment.
Reliance CSR Outperforms Mandatory Spend
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) contributed ₹1,309 crore toward corporate social responsibility (CSR) in FY25, exceeding the mandated requirement by ₹261 crore. The company’s CSR footprint spans education, healthcare, urban renewal, and sports development.
Other corporations that surpassed their CSR obligations include Rungta Sons with ₹181 crore and Jindal Steel and Power with ₹267 crore in social spending.
Philanthropy in India Sees Massive Growth
The EdelGive Hurun report recorded a total of ₹10,380 crore in donations from 191 philanthropists an 85% jump compared to three years ago. Of these, 12 are new entrants to the list, showing India’s expanding culture of structured giving.
Shiv Nadar and family retained their top position for the fourth time in five years, donating ₹2,708 crore about ₹7.4 crore per day with a focus on education. The Hinduja family ranked third with a ₹179-crore increase from the previous year, prioritizing healthcare initiatives.
Notable Insights from the 2025 Philanthropy List
- Rohini Nilekani emerged as India’s most generous woman, donating ₹204 crore.
- The Infosys family including Nandan Nilekani, Kris Gopalakrishnan, K. Dinesh, Rohini Nilekani, and Kumari Shibulal collectively gave ₹850 crore this year.
- Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, aged 39, remains the youngest philanthropist for the fourth consecutive year.
- Mumbai led the list by residence, accounting for 28% of the philanthropists, followed by New Delhi (17%) and Bengaluru (8%).
Philanthropists from the pharma sector formed the largest segment (16%), followed by software, automobile, and petrochemicals industries at 8% each.
Ambani’s Vision for Inclusive Development
Mukesh Ambani’s philanthropic efforts continue to reflect his belief in inclusive growth and empowerment. Through the Reliance Foundation, his initiatives have reached millions across rural and urban India, focusing on education, healthcare, and women empowerment.
In a previous address, Ambani emphasized, “If you start a business just to become a billionaire, you’re an idiot. True success lies in nation-building and empowering others.”
