Article
Mongabay India | Centring local communities in digital climate technologies
By Tanya Kak (Climate & Environment Portfolio Lead, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies) and Maya Chandrasekaran (Co-Founder, Green Artha) Key Ideas: Digital technologies hold promise for climate action, but their deployment often raises questions of equity, inclusivity, and sustainability. Climate tech must be built from the ground up, integrating local knowledge and social networks to ensure long-term […]
Article
IDR | Connection, not abstraction
Philanthropy’s most important role is not to abstract solutions by distilling them into replicable frameworks. It is to nurture the connections that make them possible. – By Gautam John (CEO, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies) The cool November air in Pune carried the aroma of chai, mingling with the low hum of conversation and occasional laughter in […]
Article
ET | Rohini Nilekani writes: #25 For 2025 – Will donors collaborate more to make India’s wealth inclusive?
Indian philanthropy is innovating with growing wealth, particularly through women-led initiatives and professional donors. Collaboration among givers is increasing, focusing on education, health, and institutional strengthening. New intermediaries are assisting in scaling efforts, leading to significant societal impact and an unstoppable momentum in India. Indian philanthropy is growing steadily, though not as much as it should, […]
Article
Supporting Society’s Bridge Builders
In a world of increasing complexity and polarization, system orchestrators drive collective action to achieve outsized impact. – By Don Gips, Tulaine Montgomery, Rohini Nilekani & Cristiane Sultani We are living in a period of human history rife with paradoxes: Societal challenges like climate change, economic inequality, and social injustice are deeply entrenched and getting […]
Keynote
Keynote by Rohini Nilekani – Hearth Summit Bangalore 2024
At the Hearth Summit Bangalore 2024, Rohini Nilekani (Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies), underscored the importance of building robust support systems for changemakers, social sector professionals & leaders committed to betterment of samaaj. She articulated the progression from empathy to action, distinguishing empathy as the understanding of others’ suffering and compassion as a vital next step […]
Article
The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024
The EdelGive – Hurun India Philanthropy List 2024 has named Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson – Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies , the ‘most generous woman philanthropist‘, with a personal donation of INR 154 crores for FY’24. She is a part of the list of top 10 philanthropists in terms of overall giving, while also featuring in the list of […]
Keynote
Reflections by Rohini Nilekani – National Mental Health Festival
Rohini Nilekani (Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies) in her concluding address at Mannotsava: National Mental Health Festival, highlighted the critical need for public engagement platforms that make mental healthcare more accessible and engaging. She reflected on the significance of uniting doctors, academics, mental health practitioners, civil society organizations, artists, and the public – to foster collective […]
Article
The Climate Finance Report – 2024 | Funding for Conservation, Community Resilience, and Climate Adaptation
By Tanya Kak – Portfolio Lead, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Farmers for Forests, a Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP) partner, is working on a mission to increase and protect India’s biodiverse forest cover, while also working on farmers’ livelihoods using a payment for ecosystem services model. While their entry point was forest protection, their community members often […]
Interview
The CSR Universe | Development Through Dialogue: A Unique Approach to Conflict Resolution and Self Governance
In this segment, we spotlight The CSR Universe’s interview with Natasha Joshi (Associate Director, RNP), who shares her thoughts on the role played by philanthropies in supporting initiatives that strengthen the capacity for listening, foster mutual understanding through dialogic methods, and drive meaningful, high-impact outcomes for everyone. For those interested in reading the full piece, […]
Interview
ET | Private philanthropy must step up to push innovation, say science historian Jahnavi Phalkey and philanthropist Rohini Nilekani
SynopsisThe Sci560: Science in the City exhibition in Bengaluru, delayed by the pandemic, has opened with backing from philanthropist Rohini Nilekani. Organized by Science Gallery Bengaluru, notable scientists, and research institutions, the event aims to highlight Bengaluru’s connection with science and innovation, emphasizing the need for private philanthropy in supporting R&D and combating misinformation. It […]
Keynote
Skoll World Forum 2024 | Philanthropy’s Role in Change at Scale
At the 2024 Skoll World Forum, many conversations turned to the importance of collaboration in the face of widespread disruption and social unrest. Don Gips and Rohini Nilekani came together to explore philanthropy’s role in activating and accelerating change through networks, partnerships, and knowledge sharing. Addressing the power imbalances in philanthropy, Rohini emphasized the need for […]
Article
The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: How philanthropy can tilt scales towards a more equitable society
The wealthy are not as reviled by the general public as in many other countries. This is a crucial moment for Indian funders to take ownership of our development narrative and make the country the world’s third-largest economy… Recently, I participated in four unusual philanthropy-related events over just two days in Mumbai. Each one was […]
Keynote
Keynote Address – Launch of “Wealth with Purpose: A Report on Private Indian Philanthropy”
Rohini Nilekani (Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Core Founder of AIP), in her Keynote Address at the launch event for the AIP-BCG report, “Wealth with Purpose: A Report on Private Indian Philanthropy,” emphasised the critical role that the report will play in expanding the understanding of philanthropy in India. She also spoke about the importance of […]
Article
IDR | Investing in communications as a culture and a capacity
By Sahana Jose – Associate Director, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies A majority of grants made by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP) are unrestricted: there are no stipulations on how grantees should use them. Nonprofit partners can freely use these funds for organisational development, including core costs, capacity building, communications, and team engagement. On the other hand, programmatic grants are […]
Article
IDR | Funders must prioritise climate-sensitive development
By Tanya Kak – Portfolio Lead, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Today, the conversation on responding to the climate crisis focuses disproportionately on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide. This view—held by some wealthier countries, multilaterals, and donors alike—tends to prioritise interventions and technologies based on their ability to avert carbon emissions. While this focus is […]
Panel
Skoll World Forum | Measuring Systems Change
Shifting complex systems toward greater inclusion and equity is no small task. And knowing whether we are making the impact we seek can prove just as difficult. What tools and approaches can we use? How can we promote true learning? How can we partner differently to understand our impact? Join this interactive session to hear […]
Article
Skoll | Launching the Centre For Exponential Change: A support network for system orchestrators
By Rohini Nilekani (Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies) & Donald Gips (CEO, Skoll Foundation) If you happen to drive along the highway connecting Guwahati and Shillong in the Northeast of India, you may want to stop at a few of the 350 rural Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and interact with the healthcare professionals. These centres are a thriving testament to […]
Interview
DevX | In conversation with Natasha Joshi, RNPF
DevX is a video-cast run by Viva Development Strategies, where the host, Varadarajan Rajagopalan, is in conversation with Natasha Joshi, Associate Director – RNPF. Transcript: 0:00:04.7 Varadarajan: Welcome to another episode of DevX and I’m super, super excited about thisepisode that we are going to shoot with and about Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. The principles ofthe […]
Article
The Indian Express | Rohini Nilekani writes: On Women’s Day, lessons on compassion and resilience from a 99-year-old
Durgabai Nilekani recently entered the 100th year of her life. My mother-in-law is in good health, physically active, and mentally calm. She has mild cognitive impairment and some age-related decline. But every time you ask her how she is, Amma will say, “Oh, I am fine!” On some days, she will giggle and say she […]
Article
The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023
Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson – Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, has been named the ‘most generous woman philanthropist’ for the fourth consecutive year, according to The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023. She donated Rs 170 crore in FY23, finding a place both in the top 10 philanthropists in terms of overall giving, as well as the top 10 philanthropists donating entirely […]
Article
Alliance Mag | The Trust Imperative: Reshaping Society’s Participation in Systems Change
I was walking with a young leader of an Indian civic engagement organisation last week, when he shared a perspective that stayed with me. He said, “Sometimes, society believes its role is solely to resist deep-rooted power structures. But what if we, as citizens, fundamentally reconstructed these power structures?” The triad of markets, states, and […]
Article
IDR | What does the DPDP Act mean for philanthropy in India?
Written by Gautam John, CEO of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act of 2023 marks a significant shift in India’s legislative landscape. By establishing a comprehensive national framework for processing personal data, it replaces the previously limited data protection regime under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The DPDP Act applies to the processing of […]
Interview
Dainik Bhaskar | देश की सबसे दानवीर महिला रोहिणी निलेकणी से खास बातचीत
बातचीत:प्रकृति के पास जाइए, फोन छोड़ परिवार संग खाना खाइए, बच्चे को पहला उपहार एक किताब दीजिए… समाज, सरकार और बाजार… देश के इन तीन पहियों की मदद से ही राष्ट्र की प्रगति तय होती है। ऐसा मानना है भारत की सबसे दानवीर महिला रोहिणी निलेकणी का। एडलगिव हुरुन इंडिया 2022 के अनुसार 120 करोड़ […]
Panel
Alliance Magazine | The Future of Global Philanthropy
There is a need and opportunity for strategic philanthropy to drive large scale social change. Solvingintractable problems requires philanthropy, government and business sectors working effectivelytogether. But philanthropy’s impact is held back by a lack of data, research, and analysis and, attimes, leadership. This webinar launches new research on the future of philanthropy and hears fromphilanthropists […]
Article
The South Asia Journal | Democracy’s Handmaiden: Humour
First published by The Times of India in July 2020, this article is from the book, Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar – A Citizen-first Approach. In today’s India, we need more of a funny bone in our public life In these dark times, there is no harm in easing up with some sharp humour. Like the coronavirus, […]
Interview
JLF | Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar – A Citizen First Approach | In Conversation with Vir Sanghvi
TRANSCRIPT 0:00:00.0 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. A few declarations of interest before we start. Rohini and I have known each other since 1980. We worked together in what, three magazines? 0:00:13.1 Rohini: Yeah. 0:00:14.0 Speaker 1: Yeah, long before she was married, long before she became, a word she hates, a millionaire. […]
Panel
Impact/Failure Conference | The Decade of the Bold: Failures in Philanthropy
Speakers: Rohini Nilekani, Philanthropist | Carol Gribnau, DOEN Foundation Moderated by: Harish Hande, SELCO Foundation Many would believe that philanthropies are at the top of the food chain in the development sector. Some of the critical junctures in history, from independence movements, critical innovation pathways, all have been driven by philanthropic monies. How do we […]
Article
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 […]
Interview
Citizens need to get involved in governance: Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani, philanthropist and founder of Arghyam Foundation, believes that the state ( sarkaar), the market ( bazaar), and society ( samaaj) should strive for a balance with none of them having too much power. Her new book, Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: A Citizen-First Approach, is a collection of essays on what citizens can do to […]
Panel
Decoding Reinvigorating Philanthropy & The Art Of Giving With Experts | India@75 | CNBC-TV18
This is an edited version of a panel discussion titled ‘Philanthropy Push: The Joy of Giving’ held as part of India@75. The panellists included Neera Nundy of Dasra, Amit Chandra of ATE Chandra Foundation and Rohini Nilekani. It’s great to be talking about the relevance of philanthropy and the issues facing the sector at the […]
Panel
#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 […]
Article
Keeping the Hope Unbroken
It was wonderful to read the thoughtful, frank reflections of so many younger philanthropists on the future of philanthropy. What struck me the most was that almost everyone acknowledged the need to shift and broaden the centres of power, both within philanthropy and in society. It is a great irony that big philanthropy is made […]
Keynote
Comments at SVP, Kolkata 3rd Anniversary Meet
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments at SVP’s 3rd Anniversary Meet in Kolkata. My Journey to Structured Philanthropy I have been on my philanthropic journey for about three decades now. When I look back at it now, I think the real journey started much before, with my ancestors, because it is what […]
Interview
Building Trust Through Grantee Feedback: The Story of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with The Centre For Effective Philanthropy. She talks about the importance of feedback, speaking truth to power and trust-based philanthropy. We set up Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies only recently because earlier much of my philanthropy work was done through Arghyam, my foundation for water, or […]
Interview
Nandan and Rohini Nilekani; A Conversation with Badr Jafar
This is an edited version of an interview with Nandan and Rohini Nilekani on the Business of Philanthropy. In conversation with Badr Jafar, they discuss some of the golden rules for strategic philanthropy, how technology is changing the philanthropic sector, and how Covid-19 will impact India’s ability to achieve the SDGs by 2030. I have […]
Interview
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 […]
Keynote
Embracing Risk: Solving our Societal Challenges
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s keynote talk on Embracing Risk: Solving our Societal Challenges at Dasra Philanthropy Week 2019 in Mumbai. Rohini talks about how we can take greater risks, both individually and collectively, how we can embrace failure as an opportunity, and how we can mitigate the downsides. We’ve come […]
Keynote
Samaaj and Bazaar: Congruence over Divergence
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s keynote talk on Samaaj and Bazaar: Congruence over Divergence at Dasra Philanthropy Week 2019 in Mumbai. We often set up Civil Society (Samaaj) and Markets (Bazaar) as opposing binaries. In this talk, Rohini proposes that they have more in common and more to gain, collectively, in collaborating […]
Article
Asia’s 2018 Heroes Of Philanthropy: Charity Is New To India’s New-Economy Titans
Among the newly rich, the idea of social philanthropy is just settling in, says Rohini Nilekani, wife of tech billionaire and Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani and founder of Arghyam, a foundation focusing on water and sanitation. The Nilekanis are among India’s leading philanthropists and one of the seven Indian families to sign the Gates-Buffett Giving […]
Keynote
Private Resources and the Public Interest: How can Philanthropy Enhance Social Good?
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s talk on how philanthropy can enhance social good given at CSDS, New Delhi. According to Credit Suisse, India’s richest 1% own 58% of the country’s wealth. Structural inequity is historically embedded in India, but it seems to be worsening. With this in mind, what is the public […]
Panel
We The People | Are India’s Rich Charitable Enough?
According to a report, the richest 1% Indians possess 58% of all wealth in the country. With the country’s growing income gap, the silver lining seems to be the deepening philanthropic streak in India’s ultra rich; the Nilekanis being the latest addition to the list of Indian billionaires who have pledged a portion of their […]
Interview
Our society has become so unequal. The wealthy need to be taxed more, says Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani is a bit nervous that people might have “an overdose of the Nilekanis” as she and her husband Nandan have been in the news all week for having signed the Giving Pledge, committing half their wealth — about $1.7bn — to philanthropy. She believes philanthropy isn’t just about giving but is also a […]
Article
Nilekanis pledge to donate half of their wealth for philanthropy
Infosys co-founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have decided to pledge half of their wealth for philanthropy. With this, the Nilekani family has become the fourth Indian and second tech magnate from Bengaluru to join ‘The Giving Pledge’, the philanthropy movement started by U.S billionaires Bill Gates, his wife Melinda Gates […]
Article
Nilekanis donate half of wealth to philanthropy
Infosys co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have pledged to donate half of their wealth to philanthropy. The Nilekanis had announced their decision to donate their wealth through a letter on November 8 that was put up on the website of ‘The Giving Pledge’. The Giving Pledge is a campaign […]
Interview
Bill Gates Welcomes Rohini and Nandan Nilekani to The Giving Pledge
I’m amazed by how Nandan Nilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I’m delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to the Giving Pledge. View PDF
Interview
Indian Philanthropy Series | Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview with Dasra, for the Indian Philanthropy Series. This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview with Dasra, for the Indian Philanthropy Series. In a country like India, philanthropy means something quite different than it does in Western countries where the basic standard of living is […]
Interview
Govt policy should make it easier to give: Rohini Nilekani
Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani on how the wealthy can be persuaded to give more to charity, importance of natural resources to improve living standards, and the India Philanthropy Initiative. View PDF
Panel
Strengthening Philanthropic Giving & Impact Investing for Development of India
This is an edited version of a panel discussion on Strategic Philanthropic Giving & Impact Investing in India, with Rohini Nilekani, Moutushi Sengupta, Vineet Rai, Deval Sanghavi, and Seema Chowdhry at DPW 2016: Philanthropy Day. Within the social sector, many people have been working towards bringing traditional philanthropy and impact investment together. There are certain […]
Article
Forbes India PHILANTHROPY AWARDS 2014
THE CAUSE AND THE EFFECT: Celebrating the best of philanthropy in India. These are the winners of the Forbes India Philanthropy Awards 2014, chosen by our eminent jury comprising Narayanan Vaghul (jury chair and former chairman of ICICI Bank), MV Subbiah (former executive chairman, Murugappa Group), Jayant Sinha (currently minister of state for finance) and Rohini Nilekani (founder-chairperson, Arghyam). View PDF
Panel
Philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility in South Asia and the US
This is an edited version of a panel discussion on “The Use of Philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility for Social Change in South Asia and the US” with Rohini Nilekani, Geeta Pradhan, and Alnoor Ebrahim. The event was presented by The South Asia Institute at Harvard University in 2014. It was cosponsored by the Hauser […]
Interview
Giving Matters | Dasra Philanthropy Forum
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Neera Nundy during the Dasra Philanthropy Forum, held at the Ford Foundation in New York. 15 years ago, when we came into some wealth, I was lucky enough to have invested in a small company which my husband had started. Over the years, it made […]
Article
48 Heroes of Philanthropy
From helping disaster victims to funding soup kitchens, they make our latest regional list. Forbes Asia. View PDF
Article
Philanthropy, old and new
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 […]