Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath is youngest philanthropist on Hurun India list 2024

Nikhil Kamath is also the youngest Indian member of The Giving Pledge founded by billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.

Zerodha co-founder and billionaire Nikhil Kamath, 38, is the youngest philanthropist in Hurun India list 2024 released recently. It's a feat he had achieved even in 2023. Kamath's Rs 120 crore contribution to the Rainmatter Foundation has placed him among the top philanthropists in India.

Other notable young philanthropists in the list included Adar Poonawalla, 43, of the Villoo Poonawalla Charitable Foundation and Asian Paints's Vivek Vakil, 35.

Kamath has been vocal about his dedication to causes related to climate change, energy, education, and health. He is also the youngest Indian member of The Giving Pledge founded by billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Members of this charitable foundation contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

This is in addition to the his own foundation, Young Indian Philanthropic Pledge (YIPP) which collaborates with leaders from the startup ecosystem to give away at least 25 percent of their net worth to philanthropic causes.

Last year, Kamath and his brother Nithin Kamath made it to the Hurun list after having donated Rs 110 crore to organisations dealing in climate change and environmental sustainability. Also, 37-year-old Nikhil Kamath became the youngest philanthropist to make it to the list.

Shiv Nadar tops the Hurun philanthropy list

HCLTech founder Shiv Nadar on Thursday topped the list for the third time in five years, with Shiv Nadar Foundation Institutions donating Rs 2,153 crore in the financial year 2024, which translates to Rs 5.9 crore a day.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries topped the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) list with a contribution of Rs 900 crore. Reliance was followed by Naveen Jindal-led Jindal Steel and Power which allocated Rs 228 crore, going Rs 50 crore beyond the prescribed CSR spend.

Among personal donations, Nadar again topped the list with a contribution of Rs 1,992 crore followed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and INDO MIM Tec chairman Krishna Chivukula who donated Rs 307 crore and Rs 228 crore, respectively.