Back to resources

Philanthropy, old and new

Strategic Philanthropy | Jul 13, 2008

Just societies cannot be built merely by the distribution of surplus wealth.
With a plethora of the newly wealthy in India setting up trusts and foundations recently, it is a good time to reflect on the value of strategic philanthropy. When it comes to giving in …,dia, we have traditionally upheld that feeling of empathy towards others that opens up our hearts and pockets in charity. And millions of Indians, of all faiths, do so every single day, in acts of humble kindness.

View PDF

More like this

Strategic Philanthropy

Interview: What Shall We Do With All This Money?

This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview with Jayesh A Parekh, from a chapter in his book, What Shall We Do With All This Money? – Inspiring perspectives on Wealth As someone who grew up in a normal, middle-class family, my parents instilled in us values about wealth that prioritised giving rather than […]
Dec 6, 2019 | Interview

Water  |  Strategic Philanthropy

INKtalks: Rohini Nilekani: From Starting Infosys to Saving Water

Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani talks to Lakshmi Pratury about setting up Infosys in the early 90’s, her attempt to encourage children to read more books, and her foundation, Arghyam, which works with water and sanitation issues. My marriage and my family’s journey with Infosys happened almost at the same time, and I think we were so […]
Jan 4, 2017 | Interview

Strategic Philanthropy

We need to talk about failure in the social sector: NGOs must fail to succeed

A lot of ink is spilled and awards are bestowed each year celebrating the success of the social sector—and there is much to celebrate. But the truth is, if innovation is essential to the ultimate achievements of the sector, we should spend less time on success, and more time on failure. We lament the inability […]
Jan 22, 2019 | Article

Civil Society  |  Others  |  Strategic Philanthropy

Rohini Nilekani is Changing Philanthropy

Of India’s many prominent business couples, few can match the Nilekanis in their uniqueness. Nandan Nilekani is now a business legend, for his role in building Infosys (with N R Narayana Murthy and his co-founders) and for rescuing it a few years ago when he came back to set the company right. But unlike most […]
Aug 26, 2022 |