(Image source from: Azim Premji)
Chairman of Wipro, Azim Premji, 70, has ranked as the most generous Indian of the year for the consecutive third year with donations valued Rs. 27,514 crore towards the education sector, according to Hurun India Philanthropy List 2015. The Azim Premji foundation is associated with the education sector. It operates over 3,50,000 schools in eight States.
Mr. Premji is followed by others who belonged to the IT sector. Second in the list are Nandan Nilekani and wife, Rohini Nilekani, with donations worth Rs. 2,404 crore. N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, stood third with Rs. 1,322 crore donations.
The top five businessmen are even the biggest wealth creators in the list of the Hurun India Rich List. Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries (RIL) and the richest Indian, stood sixth on the philanthropy list with donations valued Rs. 345 crore.
After retiring in 2011 from Infosys, K Dinesh has been active in philanthropic ventures in education, health care, and entrepreneurship encouragement. For the first time he scored a place in the top ten list with fourth place, for his donations valued Rs. 1,238 crore.
Shiv Nadar follows Dinesh. He is the promoter of $6.3 billion HCL Technologies and donated Rs. 525 crore to many charitable activities through the Shiv Nadar Foundation.
Hurun Report India Business Head Anas Rahman Junaid said, “I had the opportunity to visit Mr. Nadar’s foundation and university. His mission to impart contemporary education in poorest villages sets a good example for practical philanthropy in India.”
-Sumana
