Back to resources

Nilekanis pledge half of wealth to charity

Strategic Philanthropy | Nov 21, 2017

Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined ‘The Giving Pledge’, an elite network of the worlds wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy. The Giving Pledge website uploaded Nilekanis’ letter signing up for the cause. The letter said, “We thank Bill and Melinda for creating this unique opportunity to realise a moral aspiration inspired by the Bhagwad Gita “Karmanye Va dhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma karma phalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani.” “We have a right to do our duty,but no automatic right to the fruits from the doing. It is critical that we do not slip into inaction fearing that we may not be able to reap direct reward. It is to this ideal that we pledge,” it added.

View PDF

More like this

Strategic Philanthropy

Philanthropy Should be Humble, but not Modest

Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground We can definitely say that civil society and the philanthropy sector stepped up rapidly in the face of the pandemic, March 2020 onward. Very quickly, […]
May 17, 2021 |

Strategic Philanthropy

#DPW2022 | Building Philanthropic Infrastructure A clarion call for India to step up

While India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in the last decade, its growth story needs to be more inclusive. Over the last 5-6 years, the Indian philanthropy sector has shown interesting trends across funder segments – CSR, retail, and family philanthropy. On the one hand, the pandemic affected the […]
Mar 22, 2022 |

Strategic Philanthropy

Philanthropy and Covid-19: Who will be India's Rockefeller?

Although a handful of Indian billionaire families have stepped up to help mitigate the pandemic’s fallout, India is yet to inculcate a culture of philanthropy among the super-rich In 1918, an in!uenza virus emerged (probably in the US) that would spread around the world, and one of its earliest appearances in lethal form came in […]
Nov 25, 2020 |

Strategic Philanthropy

Nandan and Rohini Nilekani give away part of their wealth to charity

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and wife Rohini have pledged part of their wealth to charity, joining the ‘Giving Pledge’ movement initiated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates where wealthy individuals commit part of their wealth to society. The Nilekanis have joined other Indian billionaires like Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Chairman & Managing […]
Nov 20, 2017 | Personality