One of India’s greatest philanthropists and business leaders, J.R.D. Tata famously observed, “Money is like manure. It stinks when you pile it; it grows when you spread it.” The idea of spreading wealth and using it for the larger purpose of pursuing common good is the foundational idea of philanthropy. Historically, India has had its share of higher education institutions which were established as extraordinary acts of philanthropy—the Indian Institute of Science was established in 1909 with active support from Jamsetji Tata. The Tata Group has built many institutions, including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (1945), through the efforts of Homi J. Bhabha, the father of India’s atomic energy programme, and JRD Tata. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya established the Banaras Hindu University, one of the finest examples of Indian philanthropy contributing to higher education.

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