2019-08-01_Reader_s_Digest_India

THE POWER OF GIVING

W

hen Bill and Melinda

Gates and Warren Buf-

fet launched The Giv-

ing Pledge in August

2010, they invited high net worth in-

dividuals to dedicate more than half

their fortunes to philanthropy. The

movement grew rapidly and by 2017,

there were 168 signatories from 21

nations. This is when word reached

47-year-old Girish Batra, a corporate

executive from Bengaluru. A part-time

volunteer at DaanUtsav—a pan-India

giving week in October—Batra dis-

cussed starting a similar initiative

in India with his fellow volunteers.

But, instead of bringing together the

super-rich, Batra proposed that well-

heeled middle-class Indians—with a

net worth of `1 crore or more—pledge

readersdigest.co.in 59

By Ishani Nandi with Te a m R D

Promising to give away

half their wealth to charitable causes,

these extraordinary Indians are setting a

new milestone in philanthropy

illustrations by Keshav Kapil