Back to resources

Learning the Art of Giving

Strategic Philanthropy | Sep 4, 2006

For Rohini Nilekani, making the money was the easy part. The Bangalore-based wife of Infosys CEO Nandan
Nilekani, Rohini owns 1.67% of the Indian outsourcing company, and her personal fortune soared to about $300 million along with the meteoric rise of its stock. She calls her windfall “a quite frightening amount of money.” And as soon as it started rolling in, the social activist and journalist began to look for ways to give enormous sums away.
That’s been the hard part. With little guidance available for the country’s would-be Rockefellers, Nilekani became a self-taught philanthropist, building two foundations from the ground up. So far, she has provided a total of $37 million to Akshara Foundation, which is dedicated to education, and the Arghyam trust, which tackles water
issues.

View PDF

More like this

Strategic Philanthropy

NILEKANIS TO DONATE HALF OF THEIR WEALTH UNDER ‘THE GIVING PLEDGE’

In a statement, the Nilekanis explained why they joined the Giving Pledge movement, which says,”We see that inequality is increasing sharply in most countries. We see the young and the restless in this interconnected globe, unsure of their future, wanting more but anticipating less. We see a growing politics of polarization, of divisions, of brinksmanship. […]
Nov 20, 2017 | Personality

Strategic Philanthropy

India Inc: Lending a Helping Hand

Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, who donated Rs 47 crore of her personal wealth, feels the rich in India need to open their purses more. Noted philanthropist and chairperson of Arghyam Foundation Rohini Nilekani feels the philanthropy sector changed during the coronavirus pandemic as members of civil society donated generously. However, she is of the opinion that […]
Jan 9, 2021 |

Strategic Philanthropy  |  Civil Society  |  COVID-19

Community Cares: A City Responds

This is an edited version of a conversation about the community response to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, moderated by Rohini Nilekani. Panelists include Anshu Gupta, Nalini Sekhar and Kuldeep Dantewadia. The times we are living in, and the reality of COVID-19, means that we are being called on to do things in new ways and […]
Apr 3, 2020 | Panel Discussions

Strategic Philanthropy

Nandan Nilekani, wife Rohini to donate half of their wealth under Giving Pledge: Here's why they are doing it

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and wife Rohini will donate 50 percent of their wealth under Giving Pledge- a movement initiated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. With this, the Nilekanis have joined the list of other Indian billionaires like Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, and Sobha Ltd Chairman PNC […]
Nov 20, 2017 | Personality