Indian vs. American Donors in 2025: Report Finds India’s Ultra-Rich Among Least Generous Globally

Indian vs. American Donors in 2025 | Exclusive The Interview Times Report Reveals India’s Ultra-Rich Lag in Global Giving

An exclusive The Interview Times report compares Indian vs. American donors in 2025, revealing India’s ultra-rich give far less despite rising wealth.

Exclusive | A Data-Driven Report by The Interview Times Research Desk

TheInterviewTimes.com | New Delhi | November 6, 2025 — In an exclusive investigation, The Interview Times reveals a stark contrast between Indian vs. American donors in 2025. Despite India’s rapidly expanding billionaire class, the nation’s ultra-rich remain among the least generous globally — contributing significantly less to philanthropy than their American counterparts. The findings are based on a detailed comparative study of international giving indices, foundation filings, and wealth disclosures conducted by The Interview Times research desk.

Indian vs. American Donors: Key Points

• The Interview Times’ exclusive analysis compares Indian vs. American donors in 2025 across major global philanthropy metrics.
• India’s ultra-rich donated over 80% less than American billionaires this year.
• U.S. philanthropy remains structured, transparent, and institutionalized.
• Indian giving remains fragmented, reactive, and heavily influenced by religious or family foundations.
• The report calls for tax reforms and stronger incentives to promote professional philanthropy in India.

Global Wealth Context: Comparing Billionaire Economies

Before diving into giving patterns, it’s important to understand how wealth itself is distributed across nations. The United States and India present two distinct models of billionaire capitalism — one mature and institutionalized, the other rapidly expanding but less structured.

Indian vs. American Donors 2025: Overview of Wealth Distribution

India and the United States represent contrasting profiles in global wealth concentration.
According to Forbes 2025, the U.S. leads with 902 billionaires, holding a combined net worth exceeding $5.7 trillion. India ranks third globally with 205 billionaires (up from 200 in 2024), whose collective wealth totals $941 billion — a slight decline from $954 billion the prior year due to market fluctuations.

This disparity in scale sets the context for philanthropy: the U.S. has over four times as many billionaires, yet its wealthy donors give proportionally more. The difference reflects deep contrasts in cultural norms, tax incentives, and institutional frameworks.

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Indian vs. American Donors in 2025 – Top Donors, Scale, and Generosity

The wealthiest donors drive mega-philanthropy, yet comparisons reveal India’s top givers lag far behind both in absolute value and relative to wealth.

The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025 ranks 191 Indian philanthropists (each donating more than ₹5 crore), with the top 10 contributing a total of ₹5,834 crore (~$700 million). Leading the list is Shiv Nadar & Family (₹2,708 crore or ~$324 million), followed by major contributions toward education (78% of top giving) and healthcare.

By contrast, the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy 50 (2025) lists America’s 50 largest donors for 2024, with total giving reaching $16.2 billion — over 23 times India’s top 10 figure.
Michael Bloomberg led with $3.7 billion, followed by Reed Hastings & Patty Quillin ($1.6 billion) and Michael & Susan Dell ($1.5 billion). Six donors gave over $1 billion each, with education, health, and public policy as key priorities.

Indian vs. American Donors in 2025 Sources: Chronicle of Philanthropy 2025; EdelGive Hurun 2025. Conversions at ₹83 = $1.

Average donations also underscore the gap: India’s top 10 averaged ₹583 crore ($70 million) each, while the U.S. top 50 averaged $324 million — nearly five times higher.
When adjusted for billionaire population, U.S. top giving equates to ~$18 million per billionaire (50 from 902), versus ~$3.4 million per billionaire in India (10 from 205).

Indian vs. American Donors in 2025 – Total Charitable Giving in a Broader Context

U.S. philanthropy remains robust. Giving USA 2025 estimates $592.5 billion in total giving for 2024, up 6.3% nominally (3.3% inflation-adjusted) — a record high. This equals about 2.0% of U.S. GDP (~$29.6 trillion). Individuals drove 66% ($392 billion) of total giving, supported by strong stock market and GDP growth.

India’s private philanthropy is smaller but expanding from a lower base. The Bain & Company India Philanthropy Report 2025 estimates total social sector funding at ₹25 lakh crore (~$300 billion) for FY2024, or 8.3% of GDP (~$4 trillion) — but 95% is public spending. Private giving reached ~₹1.31 lakh crore ($16 billion, up 7%), with family philanthropy accounting for 65–70%.
The EdelGive Hurun list captures only 6.5% of this amount ($700 million from top 191), indicating high concentration among elites but limited overall participation.

Indian vs. American Donors in 2025 Sources: Giving USA 2025; Bain India Philanthropy Report 2025.

Key Insights: Why India’s Wealthy Donate Less Generously

Verified data identifies several factors behind the disparity:

• Absolute Scale Gap: U.S. top 50 giving ($16.2 billion) dwarfs India’s top 10 ($700 million), even though India has 23% as many billionaires. Per billionaire, U.S. giving is roughly five times higher.
• Relative to Wealth: U.S. billionaires donated ~0.28% of combined net worth, compared to ~0.07% in India. Broader U.S. affluent giving averages $33,219 per household (Bank of America 2025 Study), while Indian HNI giving averages 0.7% of net worth (Bain 2025).
• Cultural and Structural Barriers: India’s giving (~0.6% of GDP historically) lags behind the U.S. (2.0%). Tax incentives are weaker, and philanthropy often overlaps with CSR mandates (2% of profits). Only 40% of Indian UHNWIs have formalized giving via family offices (up from 45 in 2018 to 300 in 2024), compared to widespread U.S. foundations and donor-advised funds.
• Growth Trends: India’s private giving grew 85% in three years (EdelGive Hurun), but from a low base. In 2025, 18 donors gave more than ₹100 crore, up from just two in 2018. U.S. growth aligns with long-term averages (5.5%), indicating maturity.
• Focus Areas: Both prioritize education and health, but U.S. giving is more diversified — with 19.5% directed to public-society benefits in 2024.

Conclusion: Untapped Potential in Indian Philanthropy

This comparative study confirms that, despite significant wealth growth, India’s ultra-rich donate far less generously than their American peers. With 205 billionaires holding $941 billion, India could mobilize billions more if giving matched U.S. per-capita rates — potentially adding $10–15 billion annually from elites alone.

Structural reforms such as stronger tax incentives, diaspora engagement, and formalized giving frameworks could bridge this gap. As India’s economy heads toward $5 trillion by 2027, emulating the U.S. model of institutionalized, high-impact philanthropy could transform social outcomes and elevate India as a future leader in global giving.

Data verified as of November 2025. Sources: Chronicle of Philanthropy 2025; EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025; Giving USA 2025; Bain India Philanthropy Report 2025.
“Indian vs. American Donors in 2025” Exclusive research and analysis by The Interview Times Research Desk.