The Print | ADHD to anxiety — Bengaluru’s mental health festival destigmatises disorders, diseases
The festival, Mannotsava, was co-hosted by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences. Bengaluru: A 23-year-old college student opened up about her pain of loneliness while dealing with depression. Rahul Dravid spoke about the “incredible lows” in his cricketing journey and how they shaped his career. Mannotsava, India’s […]
The New Indian Express | Voices Unbound
Ahead of the inaugural National Mental Health Festival this weekend, philanthropist Rohini Nilekani and NIMHANS director Dr Pratima Murthy on the event which includes a conversation with cricketing icon Rahul Dravid on mental health advocacy, as well as interactive workshops on topics like ADHD, dementia, and creative therapiesWhen you look around, it’s clear that mental […]
The Hindu | All set for Mannotsava, National Mental Health Festival in Bengaluru this weekend
The festival, a collaboration between RNPF, NIMHANS and NCBS, will explore multiple facets of mental health October 26 and 27 “For too long, mental health has been pushed into dark corners of society. It’s about time sunlight filtered through,” says Rohini Nilekani, the Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNPF), which is co-hosting Mannotsava, a mental […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hurun India | India Needs Bolder & Bigger Philanthropy
She believes wealth comes with great responsibility and is best deployed for the greater good. Rohini Nilekani practices what she preaches and is the most generous woman on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022. She has been the most generous woman in India for the past three years and has doubled her donations yearly. […]
ToI | Mental health needs more funding: Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani, the chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation, which, earlier this week, had announced a grant of Rs 100 crore for Nimhans and NCBS ‘Centre for Brain and Mind’ (CBM), spoke to STOI on why mental health research needs a lot more funding in India and how governments cannot be the only ones taking […]
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. […]
Philanthropy can provide ‘patient funding’ to boost science
Industry leaders and philanthropists Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Kris Gopalakrishnan and Rohini Nilekani have made individual and collective contributions towards furthering science and research in the city and outside. They told TOI’s Chethan Kumar in an interview that philanthropy could help provide the ‘patient funding’ that is needed to boost science and also help liberate science from […]
#IIMChat with Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of a conversation with Rohini and Nandan Nilekani as part of the #IIMChat series hosted by IIM alumni in Singapore. The event was moderated by Sonia Gupta, Vidya Vasania, and Suresh Shankar. Like all of us in this room, while I didn’t grow up rich, I still grew up very […]
The Conversation Series I From Self To Society: The Role Of Active Samaaj For Social Change
In this session of The Conversation Series, Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and a committed philanthropist, shares insights into her journey from self to society, and recounts personal stories of how she arrived at this philosophy of a strong Samaaj as the foundational sector. The author of ‘SAMAAJ, SARKAAR, BAZAAR: A Citizen-First Approach’ […]
‘You have got to be optimistic in a young country,’ says Rohini Nilekani
Few people in India have confronted issues of social urgency in the many ways that Rohini Nilekani does—as a philanthropist, but equally, as a founder-member of some of India’s best-known civil society organisations, as an inveterate mediator between society, state and market, and as a writer who has thought long and hard about what happens […]
Off The Cuff with Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of ThePrint’s ‘Off The Cuff’, a conversation between Rohini Nilekani, ThePrint’s Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, and Senior Editor Sandhya Ramesh. They discuss Rohini’s new book, ‘Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar’, as well as the changing nature of philosophy, the role of women, and how technology can be used to improve education. My book, […]
During the pandemic, we learned how Samaaj, Sarkaar and Bazaar work together in a crisis: Rohini Nilekani
This year marks 30 years since philanthropist-author Rohini Nilekani started her journey in civic engagement. She started with Nagarik, a public charitable trust, in 1992 and is now the Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Director of EkStep, a non-profit education platform. She is the Co-founder and Former Chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she set […]
Interview: Rohini Nilekani, author, Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: A Citizen-First Approach – “I wanted the book to be available free”
Your book Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: A Citizen-First Approach has a selection of your essays and speeches over 15 years. How was your experience of revisiting all this material from the standpoint of where you are today? It was certainly rewarding to look at all the articles that I have written on diverse topics over the […]
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 […]
India@75 I Samaaj, Sarkar, Bazaar I Rohini Nilekani on the Citizen, State& Markets I Barkha Dutt
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Barkha Dutt on her new book and the intersection of the markets, society, and state. I haven’t spoken a lot about the incident that I mention in the introduction of my book, which started me on my engagement with civic issues, because tragedies happen in […]
My grandson is my inspiration: Rohini Nilekani
Writer Rohini Nilekani is a doting grandma. And over the last five years, her grandson, Tanush, who has been the joy of her life has also been the inspiration for many of her books, including the latest one, The Great Rifasa (Rs 60). Released on Sunday, young readers, accompanied by their parents, seated themselves on […]
What India Inc can learn from non-profits | Livemint
Rohini Nilekani, who has stepped down as Arghyam Foundation chairperson, talks about how corporates can make social accountability part of their mission By Shalini Umachandran for Livemint There’s no secret, quick fix formula to changing habits. It takes years, even decades, to break out of established patterns of behaviour, but philanthropist Rohini Nilekani believes the pandemic has shown […]
The World This Week – Children’s Magazine
Rohini Nilekani is the Founder-Chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she set up for sustainable water and sanitation, which funds initiatives all across India. From 2004 to 2014, she was Founder-Chairperson and chief funder of Pratham Books, a non-profit children’s publisher that reached millions of children during her tenure. She has written several books for young children, published […]
Press Release: Arghyam Announces the Retirement of Rohini Nilekani as the Chairperson
Arghyam announces the retirement of Rohini Nilekani as the Chairperson; Sunita Nadhamuni is appointed as the new Chairperson Since its inception, Arghyam has operated via an endowment of Rs 150 CR provided by Ms Rohini Nilekani in her personal capacity. Bengaluru, June 28, 2021: Arghyam Foundation announced that Rohini Nilekani has decided to retire from […]
Rohini Nilekani and Arun Kumar | Succeeding in Partnerships
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Arun Kumar on Succeeding in Partnerships. The discussion highlights the importance of partnerships in addressing large and complex societal issues and the need for including partnerships in the organisation strategy. Collaboration is an important topic in the social sector today. Collaboration as an idea should, […]
To Fail is to Have Dared
In this interview with IDR, Rohini speaks about why we need to underwrite failure in the social sector, how philanthropists can support failure in practice, and shares some of her own failures as an activist philanthropist. When working on complex issues of social change, failure is inevitable. Yet, people in the social sector are reluctant […]
Climate Action and Impact: A Decade of Insights
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Prashanth Prakash at the launch of ACT for Environment at the ACT Summit. The ACT Summit brings together India’s leading startup founders, venture capitalists and changemakers to talk about how we can leverage inventive startup assets and ideas to enable social change. In 2021, […]
Trust is the Absolute Foundation of Any Partnership: Q&A with Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani is a fierce believer in the power of being an active, participatory citizen. She quips that her friends could get irritated with her Gandhigiri, as she went about picking up waste which people had thrown on the road or requested people to stand in line at bus stops right from her childhood days. Today, […]
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 […]
Building the Indian philanthropic sector – what can we learn? | India Conference at Harvard 2021
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Mona Sinha, co-founder of Raising Change, at the Harvard India Conference 2021. In my work over the last three decades, I’ve tried to put together a theory of change and what I have realised and tried to communicate is that in the continuum of society, […]
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 […]
A Conversation With Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with NatureinFocus Founder Rohit Varma and Kalyan Varma about her thoughts on the importance of conservation, how to reach younger generations, and her love for the environment and a certain black panther in Kabini. I was born in Mumbai in ‘59 and my childhood was spent […]
My Philanthropic Journey: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Embrace Failure
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Vidya Shah, Chairperson & CEO, EdelGive Foundation at EDGE 2020. They discuss Rohini’s insights from her philanthropic journey over the years. My work in philanthropy spans different spaces, from groundwater and sanitation, early learning, social justice and governance, to the arts. I have portfolios […]
Gandhi’s timeless inspiration to Mission Leaders” with Ramachandra Guha
This is an edited version of a conversation with Ramchandra Guha and Rohini Nilekani. They discuss how Gandhi shaped his intent and life to fulfil his various goals of individual freedom and agency, a true Swarajya, and how he achieved impact at scale. Many of the choices he grappled with are relevant to us today. […]
An Interaction with Rohini Nilekani, the author of ‘The Hungry Little Sky Monster’ by GurgaonMoms
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with GurgaonMoms about her latest book, ‘The Hungry Little Sky Monster’ and how to inspire the love of reading in children. ‘The Hungry Little Sky Monster’ was inspired by my first grandson, Tanush. Many toddlers all over the world ask their parents about the moon and […]
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 […]
Author Rohini Nilekani on her new book The Hungry Little Sky Monster for Juggernaut, and the importance of reading for children
“The gift of a reading life to a child is the best gift of all.” Philanthropist and children’s author Rohini Nilekani wouldn’t have put it better while describing how important it is for every child to enjoy reading and derive both knowledge and pleasure from it. She was speaking with HerStory, in connection with the […]
Exclusive | Rohini Nilekani’s Tips To Raise A Reader
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with KidsStopPress about her latest book, ‘The Hungry Little Sky Monster’ and her top tips to raise readers. ‘The Hungry Little Sky Monster’ is my 14th book for children, but it’s the first one I’ve published with Juggernaut and my first commercial book. It was inspired […]
India’s Richest are Giving Away More
The total amount of philanthropic donations made by the top 112 richest in the country, according to the recently released EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List, has increased by 175% to touch ₹12,050 crore in 2020. The list is being constantly improved and some feel it needs more computational fine-tuning. Yet, the bigger message is about […]
Author Rohini Nilekani On How To Get Your Kids To Read More
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s appearance on NDTV, talking about how to encourage children to read and her latest book, ‘The Hungry Little Sky Monster’, published by Juggernaut Books. During this pandemic and the lockdown, parents have become increasingly worried about the amount of screen time that is good for their children. […]
Rohini Nilekani Comments on #REVIVEIndia
Namaste. For years now, I’ve been thinking about how should we all come together to reduce the friction to collaborate between Samaj, Bazaar and Sarkar. Because one thing has become very clear to all of us, right? Because of this pandemic, especially, that unless these three sectors can collaborate more seamlessly, there is no way […]
The Interview: Rohini and Nandan Nilekani want to use Platforms to Fight Platforms
With “Societal Platform”, the billionaire couple are combining their ideas, experience, and wealth to effect change. Nandan Nilekani co-founded Infosys and architected Aadhaar, which now covers 1.26 billion Indian.s Rohini Nilekani isn’t just India’s most prolific woman philanthropist, but she’s also the sixth overall, While Nandan has mastered the art of building disruptive tech platforms, […]
Samaaj, Sarkaar and Bazaar: The New Normal in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with ET Now, about the Coronavirus pandemic and the changes it has brought in her work and in society at large. The pandemic has brought many changes in our lives, some for better and others for worse. The negative repercussions are being felt by people of […]
Rohini Nilekani | Casual Conversations with Citizens
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Gopal Sankaranarayanan, as part of the Casual Conversations with Citizens series. Rohini shares her experiences of life and encounters with the law, rights, and most importantly, her ideas of justice. I grew up in a fairly middle class household in Mumbai, and my parents wanted […]
Rohini Nilekani on Water, Societal Platform Thinking and COVID-19 Response
Rohini talks about the water sector, the COVID-19 pandemic and her vision for the city of Bengaluru. You can read the full interview at the India Water Portal. PDF
Rohini’s Message During the ChaloGive Fundraiser
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments and message during the ChaloGive fundraiser. The way COVID-19 has restructured all our lives is unprecedented. Nobody expected everything to unravel quite this quickly. We recently conducted some surveys with Omidyar and Dalberg, and 64% of the respondents said that they were facing a serious loss […]
Rohini Nilekani on Technology and Education
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview on the importance of digital-led education and early childhood learning, on Pratham’s 25th anniversary. Every child deserves education as a fundamental right in this country. But even today, we are not able to guarantee that right for all the children in India. The journey of bringing […]
ASER 2019 Launch
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Pratham co-founder, Dr. Madhav Chavan, on the ASER 2019 report. It’s been 20 years since I have been part of the Pratham family, and when we started our work in Karnataka what I enjoyed most was working at the Balwadis with the children and […]
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 […]
Our Cities, Our Rivers: Re-imagining the Relationship
As 1.3 billion people seek better lives in a monsoon-dependent economy, the white and green revolutions may have produced grains and milk, but water is in some parts of India today more expensive and less accessible than milk. Ground water resources are depleting. NIITI Ayog sees a crisis by 2020. Where do we stand? How […]
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 […]
Are we suffering from a lack of imagination?
The pace at which social problems are outpacing our solutions underscores the need for bold philanthropy, audacious goals and capable, committed leadership in social sector organisations, says Rohini Nilekani, founder-chairperson of Arghyam and co-founder of EkStep. How do you think Indian philanthropy has evolved over the years? How have the approaches and discussions around […]
Water Philanthropy in India: A Conversation with Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, Director, Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, Director, Columbia Global Centres in Mumbai. Their discussed the state of the water crisis in India and how philanthropists can help address this issue. Although I had started […]
Giving Pledge is not meant to be prescriptive: Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani on why she and her husband Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani signed up for Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge initiative. In a phone interview from Bengaluru, Rohini Nilekani explains why the couple felt the need to sign the pledge, how wealth can influence policy and how societal platforms will help them scale up. Edited […]
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 […]
The Art Of Giving : Nandan Nilekani & Rohini Nilekani
Wealth doesn’t fully belong to us, we are only trustees. Our children knew that. Power to give away is the most important value of money,” inspiring words from Nandan and Rohini Nilekani, days after signing the Giving Pledge. As part of the pledge, they have committed to donate half of their wealth to charity. In […]
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
News in numbers: Nandan Nilekani, wife pledge to give 50% of wealth under ‘Giving Pledge’
News in numbers: Nandan Nilekani, wife pledge to give 50% of wealth under ‘Giving Pledge’. View PDF
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Q&A With Rohini Nilekani
Two decades of giving have taught philanthropist Rohini Nilekani the value of pursuing unconventional approaches to tackling social problems. View PDF
Bengaluru is not inclusive: Rohini Nilekani
“The city is not inclusive. The elite and the poor have different ideas and their interests often compete with each other, leaving fewer means for them to protest together. That is why we see disparate protests. However, there are some issues like water and mobility that bring all of us together,” writer and philanthropist Rohini […]
Q&A With Rohini Nilekani – Impact India
TWO DECADES OF GIVING HAVE TAUGHT PHILANTHROPIST ROHINI NILEKANI THE VALUE OF PURSUING UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO TACKLING SOCIAL PROBLEMS. View PDF
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 […]
India’s Uber Rich: How they Should Behave.
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Vikram Singh Mehta at the 2016 Times Lit Fest in Delhi. When my family happened to get rich a few years ago, I had to grapple with the question of what to do with this wealth. As someone who was a journalist, and who grew […]
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 […]
Simple Interpretation – Laws are Intimidating
Laws are intimidating. They’re full of jargon, and it’s impossible for the uninitiated to find out exactly what law applies in which situation. What India needs is a one-stop resource, where laws are documented, easily accessed and simply explained. This is the vacuum that Nyaaya seeks to fill. The lawyer and engineer-run non-profit is building […]
Special Feature : does philanthropy have too much influence?
Interview – Rohini Nilekani. Rohini Nilekani is one of India’s most prominent and outspoken philanthropists. She talks to Alliance editor Charles Keidan about how she gives and to whom; why, for someone whose philanthropy is very public, she sometimes gives anonymously; the social responsibility of the rich; the need for philanthropy, and, at the same […]
Disruptive giving
‘Accidental philanthropist’ uses her good fortune and influence to create more opportunities for India’s poor. Deeply involved in initiatives that have unleashed disruptive change in India across a range of issues, from education to the environment, she has mastered the art of giving. View PDF
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
Rohini Nilekani on the Role of Women in Philanthropy
Rohini Nilekani on the Role of Women in Philanthropy – Dasra India. This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s talk on the Role of Women in Philanthropy at the Indian Philanthropy Forum held by Dasra. The Economic Times has reported that Indian women are the most stressed in the world. 87% of women here […]
First Givers Club – Signature Workshop with Rohini Nilekani & Nandan Nilekani
This is an edited version of a panel discussion with Mr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Nandan and Rohini Nilekani, for GiveIndia.org, an online donation platform. My journey in the nonprofit sector began with a serendipitous meeting with CV Madhukar. Towards the end of 1999, when my children were starting to become more independent, I was lucky enough […]
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 […]
Malnutrition and Sanitation in India
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani and Pavan Srinath’s discussion on malnutrition and sanitation in India. This conversation took place on the sidelines of the Takshashila-Hudson conference, “Shaping India’s New Growth Agenda: Implications for the World” in Bangalore on August 1-2, 2014. Over the last two decades India has made a lot of […]
Make good, affordable books accessible to kids: Rohini Nilekani
BANGALORE: One story was narrated to hundreds of children across the country on Saturday, thanks to the initiative of Pratham Books, headed by Rohini Nilekani. Rohini speaks to STOI on the importance of reading and why it lags among children. View PDF
We need to create physical and virtual libraries everywhere
The work of governments and ngos over the past two decades has certainly helped millions of children, all first-generation learners, get into school and take their first steps towards reading. However, for a vast majority, there is almost nothing joyful or interesting for them to practise their newfound skills on. The children of our elite […]
Philanthropy in India Is Taking Its Own Route
A debate was going on about a government proposal to make it compulsory for companies to spend 2% of their net pro?ts on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Rohini Nilekani, philanthropist and chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she set up with a private endowment to work on water and sanitation issues in India, says she has […]
Jaipur Literature Festival, 2013 | A Surrogate Life
This is an edited version of a conversation at the Jaipur Literature Festival, 2013, between Kishwar Desai, Jaishree Misra, and Rohini Nilekani, as part of the Rajasthan Patrika Series. Often, I find myself wishing that the subject of my book, “Stillborn” was not as relevant as it is today. But when we look […]
Christian Science Monitor Profiles Rohini Nilekani of Pratham Books
In case you missed it, the Christian Science Monitor recently published a wonderfully inspiring story about Rohini Nilekani, the Bangalore based philanthropist who founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit publishing company that provides low cost books to millions of poor children across India. View PDF
Rohini Nilekani pours her wealth into getting books to India’s poorest children
When she found herself suddenly wealthy, the Indian philanthropist founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit publisher that uses innovative ways to put low-cost books in the hands of millions of kids. “My mission is to put a book in every child’s hand,” says Rohini Nilekani That’s an ambitious goal anywhere, but especially in India, where there […]
Talk Time – Rohini Nilekani in conversation with tanmoy goswami – The Smart Manager
SMART SUMMARY: In 2008, United Airlines allegedly broke a $3500 custom made guitar belonging to Canadian musician Dave Carroll. Following many rounds of fruitless dialog, during which the company’s managers relentlessly cited ‘policy’ and refused to compensate the musician, Carroll made a music video called United Breaks Guitars that had amassed 10 million views on […]
Charge of the compassionate brigade
Modern society is classified into different segments. First you have the state, as represented by elected officials and lawmakers, politicians, ministers, bureaucrats and other organs of the state. Then there are the commercial bodies — companies, chambers of commerce and other market players. The third segment (there is a fourth, the underworld and the mafia, […]
Our mission is safe and sustainable water for all
in the third of Mint’s “Joy Of Giving Week” interview series, Rohini Nilekani, chairperson and founder of Arghyam, talks about the foundation she set up to address the problem of one of India’s scarcest resources—water. View PDF
Uncommon Ground – Do we see ourselves as citizens or consumers?
There has to be a fine balance between society, government and the market – samaj, sarkar and bazaar. I attempted to seek that balance through a dialogue between samaj and bazaar. In 2008, Rohini Nilekani, chairperson of NGOs Pratham Books and Arghyam, moderated an eight-part television series called ‘Uncommon Ground’. Conceptualised by Nilekani, a former […]
Uncommon Ground: Path to India’s future
In 2008, Rohini Nilekani did the near-impossible by bringing sets of for profit business leaders and not-for-profit social leaders together on a TV show for focused debates on issues crucial to India’s future. Now, she has turned those discussions into her latest book, Uncommon Ground. The author-social activist-philanthropist spoke to Sangeetha Chengappa ahead of the […]
Entrepreneur Wisdom – Discussion – TiE Stree Shakti initiative
Rohini Nilekani and Rama Bijapurkar share their views on women entrepreneurship Chat Over Chai. View Video
We aim to provide a book in every child’s hand: Rohini Nilekani, Pratham Books
New Delhi : In a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Pratham Books (NGO), publisher Pearson Longman has agreed to set aside part of the proceeds it receives for every school title sold in India, which will then be used for the cause of the underprivileged children across the country. View PDF
BEHIND THE IT REVOLUTION –
IT companies may bring in their wake a certain culture of work and play which may veer away sharply from Bangalore’s pre-IT days, but the city is trying hard to keep its integrity. “The city has evolved.. It has grown madly in every direction, planned and unplanned, grown with granite and glass, with bricks and […]
‘Challenge creation of islands in society’
Rohini Nilekani is essentially a philanthropist at heart and passionate about development issues. The fact that she has featured in the Forbes’ list of Asia Pacific’s 48 ‘Heroes Of Philanthropy’ for the second consecutive year proves this. She speaks to Shruti Khairnar on middle class values and corporate social responsibilities. View PDF
India’s NGO Sector is the most diverse in the world
Writer and philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, wife of Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani, has been deeply involved in development issues for many years now. She is the trustee of Akshara Foundation, which works to bring literacy and teaching programmes to poorer children; she co-founded Pratham Books, a non-profit publishing enterprise to produce high-quality, low-cost books for children […]
It’s hard to be a working mom
We may know Rohini Nilekani as the wife of one of India’s most successful entrepreneurs and for her tireless good works. But was life always this struggle-free? Here she reveals what being a mother means to her and why she fears for her children’s future. View PDF
focus on philanthrocapitalism: myth or reality?
What Rohini Nilekani sees as innovative and different about the way she’s doing things is the way she has brought together the opportunities that coming into money has given her and her earlier work in the social sector, with ‘all its emotional charge towards equity’. View PDF
CNBCTV18 – Nandan helps me think logically: Rohini Nilekani
One wonders how different her life story would have been, had she not fallen in love and married one of corporate India’s brightest entrepreneurs. But Rohini Nilekani says while her bank balance may look very different, her outlook to life and her aspirations remain the same. For 26 years, she has given Nandan Nilekani the […]
Smart Philanthropy – The Science Of Giving
Corporate givers like Rohini Nilekani make every buck count. India Inc. and its residents are waking up to the difference between charity and philanthropy. That could, as several works-in-progress demonstrate, result in some good. Thinking woman’s philanthropy: Rohini Nilekani with some of the beneficiaries of the microfinance initiative Sanghamitra, of which she is a part. […]
Family matters
Will the great Indian family become a myth or an extinct entity? The Indian family system has upheld Indian culture. But now, the value system has changed and with it the structure and nature of the family too. The book ‘The Great Indian Families: New Roles, Old responsibilities’ by Gitanjali Prasad dwells upon these emerging […]
A story a day to keep ignorance at bay
Nearly 50 per cent of the children studying in the government schools in Karnataka have not reached the required levels of learning. That has been what the Karnataka State Quality Assessment Organisation, Department of Education, found out in its first statewide study of the education scenario, released last week. Another survey conducted by Akshara Foundation […]
Akshara Foundation’s new project in 1,400 govt schools
The project is being taken up to ensure that all students from Standards two to seven read and learn. “The project will begin in July this year, and by November, we hope to see a remarkable difference in the children,” said Mr Ashok Kamath of the Akshara Foundation, at the Rotary Service Award function 2006 […]
Akshara Foundation presented Rotary award
Foundation chairperson Rohini Nilekani accepts the award. Ms. Nilekani said the foundation, as part of the Pratham Network, believed in giving underprivileged children the opportunity to learn and thereby empower them to take advantage of several more opportunities available for the educated. View PDF
50 Leaders re-shaping Indian Education – Acceptable Capitalists
Nandan Nilekani, managing director, Infosys Technologies Ltd and Rohini Nilekani, promoter trustee of the Akshara and Arghyam Trust foundations and trustee Pratham. Rohini has promoted the Akshara Eoundation to improve learning outcomes in municipal schools in Bangalore and the Arghyam Trust Foundation to research ways and means to improve water availability to socio-economically disadvantaged citizens, […]
Power Women – Stand Alone – Doing it All
Urban Indian Women are making choices and making them work. ROHINI NILEKANI – 46 , S0CIAL WORKER – Stand Alone Role call: Wears many hats in the social sector. A trust fund of Rs 100 crore focuses on access to water while the Akshara Foundation works with over one lakh children under the Pratham network. […]
With technology you need water too
which Mr K N Shanth Kumar, Editor, Deccan Herald and Prajavani released the book Nashisuttiruva Neerina Gnana at Nayana hall at Kannada Bhavan on Wednesday, Dr Ananthamurthy detailed ancient and mythological references to water in order to highlight the necessity for sustainable use of this natural resource and preservation of water bodies. Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, […]
Juniper-Akshara tieup provides libraries to poor
Juniper Networks has committed $34,080 to Akshara Foundation over three years to fund children’s libraries and educational resource centres (ERCs). The funding, done through Juniper Networks Foundation Fund, follows an earlier grant of $7,500. In six years Akshara Foundation has worked with over 1.65 lakh children through its educational programmes at the pre-school, in-school and […]
Slum kids to get lessons in mother tongue
The state government will now bank on the mother tongue to educate 1.5 lakh slum children and extend improved facilities for poor students in government schools. Speaking to reporters after inaugurating Akshara Khazana- a childrens’ library set up by Akshara foundation and Juniper Networks, IT M Vijay Baskhar, Secretary for primary and Secondary Education, said […]
Rohini Nilekani wants to make available high-quality, low-cost books to as many children as possible
ROHINI Nilekani is involved in a big way with Pratham India education initiative network. She’s on the board of directors of this 10 year movement that has attracted individuals and corporates to its mission of education for underprivileged children. “Many corporates, the government and individuals have been our partners in the community based action on […]
Desi IT Moguls Too Spread A Charity Bill
BILL AND Melinda Gates have pledged to give away a substantial chunk of their multi-billion dollar fortune to their charitable foundation. Indian software moguls and their spouses are showing that they are equally keen to give away significant portions of their wealth to causes they believe in. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji and Infosys CEO Nandan […]
Western Ghats symbol of bio-diversity: Nilekani
The Western Ghats is a symbol of unique bio-diversity, said Nandan Nilekani, CEO of Infosys, at the release o f ‘Sahyadris: India’s Western Ghats – A Vanishing Tradition’ authored by Sandesh Kadur here on Wednesday. The book was supported and produced by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Kamaljit Bawa, […]
Unveiling grandeur of Sahyadris
MAGNIFICENT”, “awe-some”, “breathtaking” are the words which come to mind if you happen to take in the vision the Malabar coast of Southern India along the Arabian Sea, wherein lies a range of mountains known as the Western Ghats or Sahyadris. One can’t but marvel at the painstaking effort of Kamal Bawa, a professor in […]
Education for every Child : Nilekani (Kannada)
Education for every Child : Nilekani (Kannada). View PDF
Can Ganesha, Noah become friends?
On Sunday evening, Lord Ganesha met and made friends with a totally modern invention — Noah, the friendly computer virus. How is that possible? Can an ancient God really jell with a computer virus? In ope sense, both Ganesha and Noah are symbiotic. After all, one lives in the divine space and the other in […]
It’s time to offer up our shoulders – wealth is a resource that could be used to bridge gaps and create a world of equals.
As an erstwhile leftist, Rohini Nilekam admits to a few years of disquiet when her family started reaping the generous rewards of Infosys. Soon she realised that wealth is a resource that could be used to bridge gaps and create a world of equals. View PDF
Manna for the masses – The demand for small loans from the country’s urban and rural poor is estimated at Rs 45,000 crore.
Why then hasn’t micro-financing taken off? Ms Nilekani has funded, Sanghamitra, which is a micro-financial institution that’s targeted at the urban poor. If you’re still wondering what such an institution does, well it’s actually pretty simple; It offers loans to the poor at decent rates. View PDF
Rohini Charms – Inauguration of WellWoman Education Cell – Surana College
Rohini Charms – Inauguration of WellWoman Education Cell – Surana College. Principal KE Radhakrishna felt that the perfectperson to launch the cell would be chairperson Akshara Foundiition Kohini Nilekani, being dynamic and enterprising a woman as she is about social issues. Graciously accepting the accolades, Rohini said. “1 don’t know if I can be called […]
Chaudhvin Ka Chand Over City Slum – Off to school, with Waheeda Rehman
Legendary actress joins hands with Akshara Foundation to open new world for slum children. IT was a rare day in Bangalore’s largest slum. Visiting a, school at the end of a narrow muddy lane was one of Bollywood’s most accomplished actresses of all time – Waheeda Rehman, with Rohini Nilekani. View PDF
Reconciling public stature with privacy is tough
Rohini Nilekani, wife of Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani, is a journalist-turned-author whose debut Stillborn – a medical thriller – was the first Indian novei of its kind in its genre. An active sociai worker, Rohini now runs Akshara Foundation promoting education for underpriviieged chiidren. She aiso pians to pen another novel. Chetan Krishnaswamy finds out […]
A Foreign Float – Why are we delivering foreign policy initiatives through the FM’s speech?
A Foreign Float – Why are we delivering foreign policy initiatives through the FM’s speech? The Budget is becoming a spectacle rather than a document of financial intentions i Why are we delivering foreign policy initiatives through the FM’s speech? Still, I think the moves in healthcare are to be appreciated for their general direction. […]
Got money, reach out – Sudha Murthy does her thing and Rohini Nilekani does her own.
These days, Rohini reaches out to the less fortunate not through writing, but by donating generously to various causes. She has just taken over as the chairperson of the Akshara Foundation and is bubbling with ideas. View PDF
Yogacharya to the world – Padmashri Dr B K S Iyengar
Padmashri Dr B K S Iyengar, referred to simply as Guruji, has made a seminal difference to the practice and propagation of yoga. Rohini Nilekani speaks to the yogacharya. View PDF
Hari Can Sing – But the applause for Hariharan has got loud only after the success of Colonial Cousins
somehow, Hariharan has managed not to let his erratic choice of musical assignment corrupt his voice. He says he would still love to cut a classical record. Take a year off from everything, concentrate on riyaaz, slip into another world. View PDF
Even Expediency Should Not Violate Decency
Ramakrishna Hegde talks about Janata dissensions, the governance of Karnataka, his own political views and his health. By Rohini Nilekani and Vir Sanghvi. View PDF
Ghasiram Kotwal – An Inconclusive Muddle
SUDDENLY, eight years after it had first been performed, Ghasiram Kotwal was in the news again. Bombay’s theatre world watched, stunned, as a dispute that everyone thought had been settled forever, grabbed the headlines last fortnight. Contributing to a sense of deja vu was the fact that the opposing sides in the dispute were old […]
