Philanthropy
Philanthropy
India’s philanthropy landscape is experiencing a once-in-a-generation transformation. While previous generations wrote checks, today’s smartest givers are building systems- funding innovations that prevent problems rather than just treating symptoms.
From women leading 55% of family giving efforts to initiatives like Saamuhika Shakti—which transformed lives for 20,000+ waste pickers in Bengaluru through collective action—the opportunities to move from good intentions to transformational impact have never been greater
In the first of a continuing series of articles, we explore how you can craft your own philanthropic journey, with articles delving into the big questions- Why, How, When, What, and What Next?
From Wealth to Impact:Your Philanthropic Journey Starts with One Question
When Nikhil Kamath became the youngest Indian to sign The Giving Pledge at 37, he didn’t just commit to donating 50% of his wealth. He sparked a conversation that’s reshaping how successful Indians think about giving back.
“I don’t believe in charity. What actually works is building sustainable, scalable solutions that empower people to help themselves.”
He’s not alone in this thinking. Across India, a new generation of givers is moving beyond traditional charity toward strategic philanthropy.
The Landscape is Shifting Fast
India’s private philanthropy has grown to ₹1.31 lakh crore, with family philanthropy accounting for 40% of all private giving. But here’s what’s really interesting: 55% of philanthropic families now have women leading their giving efforts, while 33% have next-generation and new-generation givers driving decisions. Source: India Philanthropy Report 2025
From supporting gender equality (40% of families) to climate action (29%), today’s givers are tackling causes that barely registered a decade ago.
Meanwhile, 65% have hired dedicated staff to manage their philanthropy—treating giving with the same professionalism they bring to their businesses. Source: India Philanthropy Report 2025
But Here’s the Challenge
Despite this growth, most successful individuals still struggle with the same fundamental questions:
Three Questions That Shape Every Giving Journey
Over the next few months, we’ll explore how India’s most impactful givers answer three fundamental questions that transform good intentions into lasting change:
What problem can’t I ignore?
This is where it all begins. Deepika Padukone couldn’t ignore the silence around mental health after her own struggle with depression and hence started Live Love Laugh Foundation to create awareness and reduce stigma around mental health issues.
Read more: Live Love Laugh Foundation
The Balagopal family exemplifies this shift. For years, they gave traditionally—donations, feel-good moments. Then they asked a harder question: instead of just helping people in need, what if they could change entire systems? They focused their efforts on systematically building the capacities of changemakers working in highly underserved regions of Manipur and Wayanad. Same heart, completely different strategy.
Read more: Anaha Trust
What will outlast me?
Pravin Agarwal didn’t just want to save children with liver disease- his vision was much larger: ensuring no Indian child would die from a treatable condition ever again. Instead of funding individual surgeries as many other givers do, he decided to rebuild India’s entire pediatric liver transplant infrastructure. Training protocols, doctor education, hospital systems-the whole ecosystem, in short, a lasting legacy.
Read more: The Pravin Agarwal Foundation
Why This Matters Now
Family offices have grown from 45 in 2018 to 300 in 2024, many with a view to create structured, multi-generational philanthropy. This strategic support could unlock an additional ₹50,000-55,000 crore in family philanthropy over the next five years. Entrust, powered by Sattva, a leading social impact consulting firm, are part of the mission to unlock much of this intellectual and financial capital.
The question to consider as you consider where and how to give (and whether to give at all!) is what we aim to demystify in the coming months.
What problem keeps you awake at night? What change do you want to see in the world?
That’s your starting point. Everything else we can figure out together.
Coming Up in This Series:
Section 2:
The Innovation Edge
While traditional philanthropy continues to address immediate needs, the most forward-thinking givers are asking a different question:
What if we could fund the breakthroughs that prevent problems from happening in the first place?
Here’s the opportunity most are missing: despite India’s reputation as a global innovation hub, only a tiny fraction of philanthropic capital (less than 0.5% of CSR funding)—actually reaches deep-tech, climate innovation, and research sectors that could deliver transformational solutions.
Meanwhile, the entire giving landscape is being reimagined. Digital platforms are breaking down barriers that once limited philanthropy to the ultra-wealthy, potentially unlocking the collective giving power of a billion Indians.
The shift from foreign to domestic philanthropy is creating unprecedented opportunities. Indian philanthropists, with their deep local knowledge and patient capital approach, are uniquely positioned to back innovations that global funders might overlook.
Smart corporates are already recognising this potential, working directly with innovation incubators and research institutions to channel their social responsibility investments toward breakthrough technologies.
Explore more:
CSR and Innovation Partnerships
“Bengaluru billionaires are changing Indian philanthropy. Old-style CSR is out”- The Print
Section 3:
A Concrete Opportunity: Power of Collective Action
Speaking of giving smarter, here’s a specific example that embodies everything we’ve discussed about transformational philanthropy: Saamuhika Shakti, an initiative that’s revolutionising how we think about systemic change.
Most people see waste pickers and think about immediate needs—better wages, safety equipment, maybe some healthcare support. Saamuhika Shakti thought bigger.
Instead of addressing symptoms, this collective impact initiative is tackling the entire system. They brought together 11 partners—civil society organisations, businesses, government agencies, and the communities themselves—to transform not just individual lives, but the entire waste management ecosystem in Bengaluru.
The results? Over 20,000 individuals from waste-picking communities now have access to entrepreneurship opportunities, primary healthcare, education, housing support, and protection from gender-based violence. But more importantly, they’ve shifted public perceptions and driven circular business innovation that creates sustainable change.
It’s exactly the kind of strategic, collaborative approach that creates lasting change rather than temporary relief. The initiative proves that when you bring the right stakeholders together with patient capital and systems thinking, you can address root causes, not just symptoms.
Read more about the initiative here: www.saamuhikashakti.org
Reach out to the Sattva team to know more about the partnerships and giving saamuhikashakti@sattva.co.in
India’s philanthropy landscape is experiencing a once-in-a-generation transformation. While previous generations wrote checks, today’s smartest givers are building systems- funding innovations that prevent problems rather than just treating symptoms. From women leading 55% of family giving efforts to initiatives like Saamuhika Shakti—which transformed lives for 20,000+ waste pickers in Bengaluru through collective […]
Background In 2016, a prominent entrepreneur based in Bangalore engaged with Entrust Family Office to streamline their wealth management journey. Initially, interactions were limited to one of the Entrust founders, but over time, the client’s son and daughter-in-law began actively overseeing financial matters, marking a shift toward multigenerational engagement. Challenge As the next gen became […]
As wealth grows for UHNIs, managing it becomes far more complex than just monitoring investments. Taxation, succession planning, global structuring, and family governance enter the picture. That’s where the family office model comes in—a professionalized way of managing wealth, legacy, and lifestyle for ultra-high-net-worth families. In India, wealthy families face a choice: Should you set […]
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