Asia’s 2023 Heroes of Philanthropy: DLF’s KP Singh, Infosys’ Nandan Nilekani, and Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath on Forbes list
The Forbes Asia list acknowledges individuals who donate from personal funds, showcasing their commitment to various causes
Forbes has released its 17th annual list of philanthropists who donated generously and showed commitment to causes of their choice over the past year. The unranked list showcases names from the Asia-Pacific region.
The Forbes Asia list acknowledges individuals who donate from personal funds, showcasing their commitment to various causes, and three Indians – DLF's KP Singh, Infosys' Nandan Nilekani, and Zerodha's Nikhil Kamat have made the list this year.
Here's a look at the three Indian names that grace the list:
KP Singh: The chairman emeritus of DLF, made headlines after selling his remaining direct stake in the Delhi-based property developer, raising $89 million. The proceeds will fund philanthropic causes, supporting the KP Singh Foundation established in 2020, as per Forbes.
At 92, Singh, with an estimated fortune of $14 billion, has been a driving force behind DLF's success and the transformation of Gurgaon into a technological hub, it added.
Nandan Nilekani: The co-founder and chairman of Infosys, recently donated $38 million to IIT Bombay, marking his 50-year association with the institution. His philanthropic contributions, totaling ₹400 crore to the institute since 1999, include support for educational initiatives like EkStep Foundation and AI4Bharat, as per Forbes.
With an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion, Nilekani continues to champion educational causes close to his heart, it added. Nilekani and his wife, Rohini, signed the Giving Pledge in 2017.
Nikhil Kamath: The co-founder and chief financial officer of Zerodha joined the Giving Pledge in June. He is the fourth signatory from India. The others are Nandan Nilekani and Rohini Nilekani (2017), Wipro's Azim Premji (2013), and Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (2016).
Kamath has pledged to address climate change, energy, education, and health inequalities, as per Forbes. At 37, Kamath, who is India's youngest billionaire, is a newcomer to this list.
With an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion, he has been actively engaging in philanthropy through his YouTube podcast series, "WTF is," donating up to $120,000 to charities selected by his audience. He aims to increase this contribution to ₹4 crore while striving to create a more equitable society.
Other recognised philanthropists
Others on the list include Keyence's Takemitsu Takizaki (Japan), who donated $2.6 billion to his foundation; Fortescue Metals Group's Andrew Forrest and wife Nicola Forrest who gave $3.3 billion to their Minderoo Foundation; Midea Group founder He Xiangjian ho pledged $410 million for scientific research in China; and Hong Kong's Li Ka-Shing who donated $7.7 million towards AI in medical training and research.
Billionaire Low Tuck Kwong gave $73 million to Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy through his foundation (Indonesia); New World Development's Adrian Cheng has set up a foundation supporting children's mental health (Hong Kong); and James Packer who has donated to the University of New South Wales towards mental health research (Australia).
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Business NewsCompaniesPeopleAsia’s 2023 Heroes of Philanthropy: DLF’s KP Singh, Infosys’ Nandan Nilekani, and Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath on Forbes list
First Published:30 Nov 2023, 12:59 PM IST
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