We're thrilled to announce a new partnership between Indiaspora and GivingPi - a collaboration rooted in shared values and a bold vision for the future of family philanthropy. At the heart of this partnership is a simple belief: that Indian and diaspora communities, when connected, can drive transformative change across borders. This collaboration aims to open new pathways for learning, exchange, and co-creation where value-driven leadership meets collective action. GivingPi is India’s first, invite-only network for family philanthropy - home to some of India's leading philanthropic families, including several Indiaspora members. Together, we aim to unlock deeper impact, elevate community-led change, and build a global philanthropic collaboration grounded in trust, purpose, and proximity.
Last month in Mumbai, GivingPi, alongside SEE Learning India, the Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) program, and The Karuna Practice, co-hosted the India launch of The Karuna Practice — an initiative rooted in compassion as a foundational force for societal resilience. Bringing together experts across education, community leadership, and institutional reform, this launch seeded a powerful dialogue around how care, emotional regulation, and ethical clarity can be embedded into the fabric of our systems. The fireside chat featured a compelling exchange between Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion Based Ethics at Emory University; Neha Bhatia, Head of SEE Learning India; Neera Nundy, Co-Founder and Partner at Dasra; Tara Singh Vachani, GivingPi Founders Circle Member and Managing Trustee of Max India Foundation; Reshma Piramal, GivingPi Member and Head of SEE Learning India and Suparna Gupta, Founder and Board Member, Aangan Trust. Together, they explored how compassion can be operationalized not just as a personal virtue, but as a structural force for change. This convening exemplified what GivingPi is here to do — bridge ideas and institutions while supporting models that integrate evidence, empathy, and action. GivingPi Members in attendance included Dr. Akhil Shahani & Simran Shahani, Dimple Rai, Jeet Marwadi, Nikunj Jhaveri, Rajiv Mehta, Sarika Kulkarni, Swati Apte, and Vaidehi Pagaria
GivingPi and The Majurity Trust co-hosted an intimate dinner gathering in Singapore, bringing together a diverse group of philanthropists, GivingPi Members, and ecosystem champions to explore the evolving role of diaspora philanthropy in shaping India’s future. Generously hosted by Sandeep and Bhakti Naik at their home, the evening created space for authentic conversations around the power of giving, the importance of investing in ecosystem strengthening, and how strategic philanthropy can catalyze long-term change. Guests reflected on what it means to fund not just programs but institutions, movements, and the infrastructure of social change. The gathering also highlighted the potential for deeper collaboration between India - and Singapore-based givers — especially in a moment where the Global South is taking center stage in development and innovation. Sandeep Naik, Founder of Toolbox India Foundation, shared insights from his journey in strengthening the nonprofit sector through capacity building, while Neera Nundy spoke about Dasra and GivingPi’s work in fostering trust-based philanthropy and collaborative funding models. We’re deeply grateful to The Majurity Trust for their partnership and to all who joined us for an evening that celebrated shared purpose, collective vision, and the power of proximity in global giving.
GivingPi Member Raj Mariwala is the Director of Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI), which has made a powerful commitment to equity and justice by pledging $850,000 to the Fund Our Futures campaign — a bold investment in community-led mental health initiatives by and for LGBTI communities in India. This pledge comes at a critical time, as queer-trans movements face an acute funding crisis amidst ongoing structural violence, erasure, and marginalization. MHI’s support will enable grassroots efforts grounded in social justice, lived experience, and collective care to continue building resilience and resistance within their communities. “The violence, erasure, and structural injustice against queer-trans communities has deep and long-lasting mental health impact,” said Raj. “As mental health funders, we believe this needs to be confronted with redistribution of resources that support both the resistance and resilience of LGBTI movements.” MHI’s leadership in this space reflects a broader vision, one where mental health is inseparable from dignity, rights, and systemic change. To know more, click here.
GivingPi Member and CEO & Co-Founder of citiesRISE, Moitreyee Sinha, is advancing a bold vision for youth mental health in India through focusing on inner development — fostering meaning, belonging, and hope — as the foundation for collective wellbeing. After seven years of co-creating solutions with youth, social innovators, and researchers across India, citiesRISE launched a national initiative in 2024 with the Government of India’s, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). The initiative integrates mental health into everyday spaces—schools, homes, and community settings — while working to shift policies and systems at the state and national levels. In 2025, a coalition of 12+ partners led by citiesRISE and NIUA will reach over 200,000 youth across Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, and Delhi through school-based interventions that support emotional resilience and mental health literacy, a National Youth Fellowship mobilizing young people in service of nature and wellbeing and programs for families and youth-serving professionals to create a supportive ecosystem. To further this systems-level shift, citiesRISE co-hosted a virtual roundtable in May — The Future of Mental Health in India — with NIUA, Grand Challenges Canada, and Rural India Supporting Trust (RIST), convening philanthropists, government leaders, and global experts to center inner development in national mental health strategy. To know more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Chairperson of Vedanta Medical Research Foundation - BALCO Medical Centre (BMC), Mrs. Jyoti Agarwal, is working to make quality cancer care more affordable and accessible for everyone. Under her leadership, BMC supports patients not just with treatment, but in many other important ways. The hospital provides free transport for patients and their caregivers, healthy high-protein meals during chemotherapy, and extra nutrition for children with cancer. People who cannot afford tests or treatment get help through the BMC Charitable Fund. BMC also takes early detection services to remote areas of Central India via its Mobile Cancer Detection Van and runs free HPV vaccination drives to protect young girls from cervical cancer. Sukh Sarai, located within the hospital premises, provides underprivileged patients and their caregivers with a safe place to stay during treatment. Along with this, continuous efforts are being made in research and academics to strengthen patient care. Recently, BMC signed an MoU with AIIMS Raipur to work together on research, training, and knowledge sharing to improve cancer services.
GivingPi Member and Founder of Arogya World, Dr. Nalini Saligram, is tackling India’s diabetes crisis through large-scale prevention. With a small team of 25, her organization has already reached 19 million people across 19 states, empowering communities to adopt healthier lifestyles. Through their Healthy Schools program, Arogya educates 11–12-year-olds on nutrition and physical activity, showing measurable improvements in behavior. Their goal is to reach 5 million children through partnerships with state governments and under a Clinton Global Initiative commitment. Additionally, last year, Arogya trained 500 street food vendors in Bangalore, leading to a drop in refined flour use from 15% to 3.9% in their food items, thereby encouraging healthier cooking practices. Recognized by the UN and WHO, Arogya World is now scaling tech-enabled, community-led models to prevent diabetes nationwide. To know more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Founder of deAsra Foundation, Anand Deshpande, continues to champion grassroots entrepreneurship through a significant new partnership between deAsra Foundation and the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS) - the state’s nodal agency for driving skills, employment, and entrepreneurship. This MoU marks the launch of a structured Entrepreneurship Growth Program aimed at scaling up small and nano businesses, building entrepreneurial skills, and boosting financial literacy across Maharashtra. Through Udyojak Melavas, the program will promote entrepreneurship as a viable career path while supporting existing entrepreneurs in their growth journey. By joining hands with the Government of Maharashtra, deAsra is set to reach deeper into communities, helping unlock economic mobility and sustainable livelihoods through business ownership.
GivingPi Member Radhika Bharat Ram is the Founder and Chairperson of KARM for Young Indian Women, a women-led initiative dedicated to advancing gender equality via financial independence for each girl. Since its founding in 2020 with just 20 Fellows, KARM has grown into a vibrant community of 200 Fellows, offering personalised mentorship with industry experts for the three year duration of the Fellowship and training in communication, critical thinking, computer skills, and job-aligned hard skills through a curriculum designed in house, in an environment of care. A strong scaffolding of emotional support provides the basis for this holistic approach enabling the transformation of “girls with dreams” to “women with vision.” KARM’s impact is evident as its graduating Fellows join prestigious fellowships like the Young India Fellowship, Teach For India and Gandhi Fellowship, and leading companies like Genpact, United Airlines, Urban Company, WTW, and IHG Hotels. At KARM, Graduation is just the beginning—as the institution continues to support its alumni through KARM Shakti, its alumni network, and KARM Awaaz (which is supporting 70 young women in its year of launch), a Fellow-led program focused on social-emotional learning to help women build confidence, resilience, and leadership skills that will allow professional dreams to blossom. Through Radhika’s leadership, KARM is creating meaningful, long-term pathways for young women to achieve financial independence and become changemakers in their communities. To know more, click here.
GivingPi Member and Executive Director of Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd (BCML), Avantika Saraogi is helping lead a global breakthrough in sustainable materials. In partnership with KONSPEC, IIT Guwahati, and Lohia Corp, Balrampur Chini Mills has co-developed the world’s first compostable woven fabric made from PLA, a biodegradable alternative to plastic. This fabric - successfully tested for making woven sacks - has the potential to replace plastic-based textiles in packaging and industrial use, marking a major step toward reducing plastic waste. With this innovation, Avantika and her partners are paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future in India and beyond.
GivingPi Member and Managing Director of Shahani Group Akhil Shahani, is advancing economic opportunity for underserved youth through a powerful new partnership between the Shahani Group, Generation India, and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Together, they are launching a pan-India initiative to skill 100,000 low-income youth for well-paying, future-ready jobs—addressing both unemployment and the skills gap at scale. With a strong focus on employability, this initiative aims to equip young people with the practical, in-demand skills they need to thrive in India’s evolving job market, offering not just training, but pathways to meaningful and sustainable livelihoods.
Radhika Piramal, Pratyaksha Jha
LGBTQIA+ communities in India are leading grassroots, queer-affirming mental health initiatives amid systemic exclusion and stigma. The article authored by GivingPi Member, Radhika Piramal and Pratyaksha Jha, highlights the urgent need for philanthropic support to scale these community-rooted care models.
Sachin Tendulkar
In his article, GivingPi Member, Sachin Tendulkar, emphasizes the transformative power of sports in empowering children from underserved communities, highlighting how initiatives by the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation have enabled many to pursue education and careers beyond traditional expectations.
Amit Chandra, Poonam Choksi
The opinion piece by GivingPi Member, Amit Chandra and Poonam Choksi argues that for NGOs to drive sustainable, large-scale impact, donors must go beyond programmatic funding and invest in building organizational capacity, especially in areas like fundraising, leadership, and infrastructure. It presents data-backed insights showing how strategic capacity-building investments significantly improve NGO resilience, scale, and long-term effectiveness
Khushboo Balani, Aanshi Gupta and Mahima Sharda
This article calls for a gender-transformative approach to maternal health in India, highlighting how systemic gender inequalities, social norms, and caste-based disparities hinder progress. It advocates for maternal healthcare that is inclusive, dignified, and responsive to the diverse experiences of all mothers, moving beyond medical metrics to center equity and agency.
