Clear Cut CSR Desk
New Delhi, UPDATED: Oct 26, 2025 22:00 IST
Written By: Paresh Kumar
While reading the news about how the Pye Foundation transferred its £2.3 million endowment to the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, it made me think what Indian philanthropy can replicate. The move created a new fund. It promises over £100,000 in annual grants. It preserves a legacy from 1936. All while boosting impact in East Anglia.
As a research professional in the social impact space for 25 years, I’ve seen similar chances in India. We can learn from this. Build stronger, lasting systems. The Pye story is clear. A small foundation hands over assets to a bigger one. They keep the original mission alive. Focus on STEM education and heritage. Trustees stay involved. No disruption to grants. It’s smart. Efficient. In India, our philanthropy is growing fast. But it’s often scattered. We need more of this teamwork.
India’s social sector funding hit INR 25 lakh crore in FY 2024. That’s $300 billion. It grew 13% yearly over five years. According to the India Philanthropy Report 2025 co-created by Dasra and Bain & Company, public money makes up 95%. Private giving? INR 131,000 crore. Up 7% from the year before. By 2029, it could reach INR 45 lakh crore. Family giving drives 40% of private philanthropy. CSR from family-run firms adds INR 18,000 crore yearly. That’s 65-70% of all corporate CSR, says the India Philanthropy Report 2025 co-created by Dasra and Bain & Company.
At DevInsights, where I lead research on impact strategies, we’ve tracked this growth. Families support gender equity (40%) and climate action (29%), notes the India Philanthropy Report 2025. Women lead 55% of family philanthropy. But gaps remain. Funding shortfalls hit INR 14 lakh crore last year. By 2029, it could grow to INR 16 lakh crore, warns the same report. Mergers like Pye’s could help close that.
Lesson one: Preserve legacies through partnerships. Pye ensures its vision lives on. In India, think Tata Trusts. They hold over $100 billion in endowments, says a 2024 Tata Trusts report. Started with the JN Tata Endowment in 1892. As per a 2023 Philanthropy Asia study, Sir Ratan Tata Trust gives endowment grants to NGOs. More families could transfer assets this way. Build perpetual funds. Avoid short-term giving.
Lesson two: Consolidate for efficiency. Pye avoids overlap. Gains scale. India’s nonprofits lag in mergers. Corporate M&A hit 600 deals worth $61 billion in 2016-17, per a 2018 Economic Times analysis. Nonprofits? Almost none. But examples exist. UnLtd’s acquisition sparked reinvention during crisis, notes a 2020 Nonprofit Quarterly report. At DevInsights, we’ve advised on similar moves. They cut costs. Amplify reach. Stakeholders love it. Donors get more impact. NGOs scale programs.
CSR folks, listen up. Spending surged 16% to INR 17,967 crore in FY24, says a 2024 Ministry of Corporate Affairs report. Top firms like HDFC Bank (Rs 945 crore) and Reliance (Rs 900 crore) lead, per a 2024 Business Standard article. According to a CSR report published by DevInsights, 60% goes to just six states (Beyond Profits: Trends and the Untapped Potential of CSR in India, 2024). Mergers could spread it wider. Education gets 44% of CSR. Healthcare 29%, as per the Beyond Profits Report 2025 by DevInsigts. Like Pye, tie funds to local needs.
Lesson three: Sustainability via endowments. Pye’s fund lasts forever. India needs more. Family offices jumped from 45 in 2018 to 300 in 2024, says the India Philanthropy Report 2025 co-created by Dasra and Bain & Company. Better support could unlock INR 50,000-55,000 crore more. Diaspora adds power. 35 million strong. Remittances at $130 billion, notes a 2024 World Bank report. Events like India Giving Day raised $5.5 million.
Trust-based giving is key. Pye keeps trustees in grant-making. India can too. Move from “danam” – our old selfless giving – to strategic models. At DevInsights, we push this. Help families plan. Use data. Like at the India Philanthropy Forum 2025, as highlighted in a 2025 India Development Review article. Tech and intention drive change.
Impact on India? Massive. More mergers mean less fragmentation. Stronger endowments fight poverty long-term. CSR stakeholders gain models for compliance. Philanthropists build legacies. Nonprofits scale. We’ve seen it work globally. Now here.
Take Dani Foundation. They fund education and meals via partnerships. Kirloskar Group does sanitation and environment. Nikhil Kamath’s pledges mobilize young wealth. Pride Fund supports LGBTQIA+ via collaboration, says the same India Philanthropy Report.
As we aim for Viksit Bharat by 2047, let’s replicate Pye. Partner up. Preserve visions. Boost efficiency. I’ve spent 25 years researching this. At DevInsights, we guide it. Time for action. Simple steps. Big results. India’s philanthropy can lead the world.
