"Conversations with Remarkable Givers: India" provides a behind-the-scenes look at philanthropy in India from the perspectives of experienced philanthropists such as Rajashree Birla, Amit Chandra, Ashish Dhawan, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Rakesh Mittal, Rohini Nilekani, Vidya Shah, Venu Srinivasan, Ratan Tata, and others. Through these video interviews they share their advice for other philanthropists on topics ranging from building strategy, measuring success, collaborating with grantees, working with the government, and much more.
Amit Chandra becomes a voice for philanthropy
Amit Chandra believes in Jamsetji Tata’s philosophy that the enlightened corporation serves not just investors, but society more broadly.
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Amit Chandra Videos
- Amit Chandra says his philanthropic journey was partly shaped in U.S.
- Many for-profit tools apply to the non-profit sector, says Amit Chandra
- Amit Chandra says that philanthropy is not charity
- Philanthropy can help build the nation, according to Amit Chandra
- Amit Chandra says India's giving culture is resurgent
- Philanthropy in India can be propelled, says Amit Chandra
- Amit Chandra's advice to new philanthropists: start the journey
- Measuring success has changed over time for Amit Chandra
- Amit Chandra says that self-discovery has been a benefit of his giving
Ashish Dhawan rejects the status quo
At the age of 43, Ashish Dhawan left his full-time position as co-founder and senior managing director of ChrysCapital, one of India’s leading private equity funds, to begin his second career—devoting his funds and focus to reimagining primary and secondary education in India.
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Ashish Dhawan Videos
- Philanthropy differs from charity, says Ashish Dhawan
- Work in philanthropy is distinct from the for-profit world, according to Ashish Dhawan
- Ashish Dhawan claims that education is a fundamental challenge for India
- Liberal arts is the right model for higher education, says Ashish Dhawan
- Ashish Dhawan says that philanthropy is an open landscape in India
- Philanthropy offers great returns, according to Ashish Dhawan
- Ashish Dhawan says that investing in people is really important
- Philanthropy has a long history in India, says Ashish Dhawan
- Tax incentives could increase giving in India, says Ashish Dhawan
- Ashish Dhawan says philanthropy has changed him
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: compassionate capitalist
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw argues that philanthropy too often tries to apply temporary fixes to intractable problems.
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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Videos
- Entrepreneurship made me aware of social needs, says Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw discusses compassionate capitalism
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw explains her philanthropic focus on research
- Philanthropy can catalyse new models for government, says Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
- Philanthropy is about leading by example, according to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw says that philanthropy has to be sustainable
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's advice to new philanthropists: where can you make a difference?
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw describes using metrics to measure success
- Some investments should be considered philanthropic, says Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's focus on healthcare is driven by justice and compassion
Rajashree Birla looks to optimize corporate social responsibility
Rajashree Birla serves as the director of several major companies in the Aditya Birla Group, including Aditya Birla Nuvo, UltraTech Cement Ltd., Grasim, and Hindalco. She also spearheads the group’s corporate social responsibility through the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development.
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Rajashree Birla Videos
- Rajashree Birla describes the evolution of the Birlas' giving and corporate social responsibility
- Rajashree Birla on what has motivated her philanthropy
- Rajashree Birla describes the Birla approach to corporate social responsibility
- Rajashree Birla says polio eradication work has been the "most gratifying"
- Four pillars undergird corporate social responsibility success, says Rajashree Birla
- Rajashree Birla on putting "people first" in corporate social responsibility
- Focus on skill building and nation building, Rajashree Birla advises corporates
- Rajashree Birla on the power of partnering with NGOs
Rakesh Bharti Mittal places an emphasis on education
Rakesh Mittal is the vice chairman and managing director of Bharti Enterprises. He and his family pursue philanthropy through the education-focused Bharti Foundation.
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Rakesh Bharti Mittal
- Giving back to the society is an obligation, says Rakesh Mittal
- Rakesh Mittal on why the Bharti family has chosen to run its own schools
- Rakesh Mittal describes the impact of his education work
- The Bharti Mittals have their eyes set on higher education, says Rakesh Mittal
- Rakesh Mittal's advice to philanthropists: be the changemaker
- Rakesh Mittal speaks about his philanthropic legacy
Rohini Nilekani embraces high-risk ideas in philanthropy
A former journalist and television anchor, Rohini Nilekani has been frequently recognized as a leading philanthropist in India.
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Rohini Nilekani Videos
- Rohini Nilekani discusses the joy of giving
- Rohini Nilekani says system-wide approaches are important to consider
- Rohini Nilekani's advice to new philanthropists: follow your interests and build trust
- Philanthropy is different in India, says Rohini Nilekani
- Rohini Nilekani says that Indian NGOs think in terms of scale
- India can benefit from more discussions on philanthropy, says Rohini Nilekani
- Rohini Nilekani says that philanthropy can build organization and ecosystem capacity
- Philanthropic collaborations are hard but necessary, according to Rohini Nilekani
- Results from philanthropy take time, says Rohini Nilekani
- The India Philanthropy Initiative is a platform for wealthy givers, says Rohini Nilekani
Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan focuses on people and collaboration
Kris Gopalakrishnan is a co-founder of Infosys as well as the chairman and co-founder of Axilor Ventures. He and his wife Sudha founded the Pratiksha Trust to pursue their philanthropy. Their philanthropic interests include education and healthcare.
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Kris Gopalakrishnan
- Kris Gopalakrishnan on why he invests in people, not projects
- More philanthropy is needed for Indian research and development, says Kris Gopalakrishnan
- Kris Gopalakrishnan on why he's investing in India's aging problem
- Kris Gopalakrishnan speaks to the value of collaboration in philanthropy
- Kris Gopalakrishnan looks to take advantage of existing networks for impact
- Kris Gopalakrishnan on how his for-profit experience has inspired his philanthropy
- Kris Gopalakrishnan describes how philanthropy has shaped him
- Kris Gopalakrishnan says that a community of philanthropists can catalyze more giving
Sunil Munjal finds many benefits in philanthropy
Sunil Munjal is the chairman of Hero Enterprise. He focuses his philanthropy on promoting Indian arts through his nonprofit, the Serendipity Arts Foundation, and supports theatre and music in his capacity as president of the Ludhiana Sanskritik Samagam.
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Sunil Munjal
- Giving is the right thing to do, says Sunil Munjal
- Sunil Munjal says his family doesn't believe in advertising its philanthropy
- Sunil Munjal explains the benefits of having his philanthropic initiatives live near his business operations
- Preserving Indian arts and artisanal skills are key priorities, says Sunil Munjal
- Truly effective programs require scale and efficiency to create real impact, says Sunil Mujal
- Sunil Mujal talks about how education improves the lives both of the students and their families
- Increased philanthropic giving in India will require tax incentives, donor education, and knowledge sharing, says Sunil Mujal
- Sunil Munjal says his giving provides a sense of comfort, confidence, and calmness that helps his other endeavors
Sunil Wadhwani seeks multiple paths to scaling healthcare
Sunil Wadhwani is the former CEO and co-founder of iGATE Corp. His primary philanthropic vehicle is the WISH foundation (Wadhwani Initiative for Sustainable Healthcare), which focuses on accessible, quality healthcare and innovations in healthcare.
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Sunil Wadhwani Videos
- Sunil Wadhwani has a keen focus on accessible, quality healthcare
- A sense of gratitude motivates Sunil Wadhwani to give back
- Partnering with the government is key to scale, says Sunil Wadhwani
- Sunil Wadhwani on why he chose to conduct philanthropy through his own foundation
- Sunil Wadhwani focuses his giving on India to maximize the impact of each dollar
- Artificial intelligence for social good is Sunil Wadhwani's next big bet
- Sunil Wadhwani's five pillars of NGO success: organizational culture, strategy, talent, operational excellence, and collaboration
- Sunil Wadhwani on his philanthropic legacy and the importance of exposing his children to the realities of poverty
- Sunil Wadhwani on the concerns of Indians overseas who want to get involved in philanthropy: "It's not that difficult."
- Monitoring quality is key to long-term program success, says Sunil Wadhwani
Venu Srinivasan is transforming communities into agents of change
In all of his pursuits, Venu Srinivasan is obsessed with achieving excellence, which explains why he’s so focused on bringing the Japanese Total Quality Management (TQM) model, which TVS pioneered in India, to India’s social sector.
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Venu Srinivasan Videos
- Venu Srinivasan gives advice to new philanthropists
- Family inspired philanthropy in Venu Srinivasan
- "Social change takes time", says Venu Srinivasan
- Venu Srinivasan talks about working with the Government
- Empower people by giving them ownership and responsibility of their work says Venu Srinivasan
- Venu Srinivasan says the different focus areas of SST aim at holistic change at village level
- Venu Srinivasan on how SST builds villages
- Venu Srinivasan says he is a society builder and not a philanthropist
Vidya Shah believes in collaborating for results
As the founder of EdelGive Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Edelweiss Group, a leading financial services conglomerate with an asset base of $4.8 billion, Vidya Shah seeks to build a bridge between the users and providers of philanthropic capital by exporting the skills and strategies of the for-profit world to the social sector.
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Vidya Shah Videos
- Vidya Shah says her philanthropy applies lessons from Edelweiss experience
- Vidya Shah describes the evolution of EdelGive Foundation
- EdelGive focuses on capacity building, says Vidya Shah
- Vidya Shah says that philanthropy benefits from collaborations
- Quality measurement requires working closely with grantees, says Vidya Shah
- Vidya Shah applies a gender-lens to giving
- CSR often lacks strategic perspective, says Vidya Shah
- Vidya Shah discusses measuring EdelGive's own impact
- Indian philanthropy is colourful and chaotic, says Vidya Shah
- Vidya Shah says that philanthropy has helped her understand the complexity of social change
Ratan Tata keeps a business mindset for philanthropy
With a strong belief in ethics and equality, and a focus on utilizing business principles to create social impact, Ratan Tata has successfully carried forward his family's legacy of philanthropy.
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Ratan Tata Videos
- Ratan Tata's philanthropic journey began at an early age with his family
- Tata Trusts seeks to explore more holistic, transformative, and hands-on approaches to its philanthropy
- Hard experience taught Tata Trusts that sustainability must be a key criterion for its work
- Ratan Tata says that NGO capacity can be a limit to grant-making
- Properly done, corporate social responsibility efforts should be meaningful and impact-oriented, says Ratan Tata
- Ratan Tata says Indian philanthropy can and should become more sophisticated and results-driven
- Ratan Tata challenges new philanthropists to go after causes where they can do more than just "scratch the surface"
- Ratan Tata says philanthropy has made him more sensitive