Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Old and New Forms of Giving: Understanding Corporate Philanthropy in India

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Corporate philanthropy in India is burgeoning due to a fast growing economy, rise in the number of billionaires, and the recent introduction of legislation that mandates spending 2 % of company profits on corporate social responsibility. Through analysis of key historical and anthropological texts, we argue that ‘business philanthropy has a long and honorable history in India’ (Sidel, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 12(2):171–180, 172, 2001), and explain this with reference to Indian giving practices from Hindu, Mughal (Muslim), British Raj, and Gandhian traditions. We then move into a review of the emerging field of literature on corporate philanthropy, to explore how these traditions synthesized with contemporary global business and economic practices to create a distinct form of Indian corporate philanthropy. We necessarily also include an overview of its salient critiques. This will be of interest to those concerned with Indian philanthropy and of culturally specific scholarship of philanthropy.

Résumé

Le mécénat d’entreprise en Inde est en plein essor en raison d’une croissance économique rapide, de l’augmentation du nombre de milliardaires et de l’introduction récente d’une législation qui impose de dépenser 2 % des bénéfices sur la responsabilité sociale des entreprises. Grâce à l’analyse de textes historiques et anthropologiques de premier plan, nous montrons que «le mécénat d’entreprise a une longue et honorable histoire» en Inde» (Sidel 2001: 172) et expliquons cela en référence aux pratiques des Indiens en matière de dons provenant des traditions hindoues, mongoles (musulmane), du Raj britannique et de Gandhi. Nous passons ensuite à un examen du domaine émergent de la littérature sur le mécénat d’entreprise pour étudier comment ces traditions ont été synthétisées avec les pratiques commerciales et économiques mondiales contemporaines pour créer une forme distincte du mécénat d’entreprise indien. Nous avons inclus également un aperçu de ses principales critiques. Cela présente un intérêt pour les personnes concernées par la philanthropie indienne et celles bénéficiant d’une bourse d’études culturelle spécifique en philanthropie.

Zusammenfassung

Die unternehmerische Philanthropie in Indien blüht aufgrund einer rasant wachsenden Wirtschaft, einer zunehmenden Zahl von Millionären und der kürzlichen Einführung eines Gesetzes, nach dem 2 % der Unternehmensgewinne im Bereich Corporate Social Responsibility investiert werden müssen. Beruhend auf einer Analyse wichtiger historischer und anthropologischer Texte behaupten wir, dass „die unternehmerische Philanthropie eine lange und ehrenwerte Tradition in Indien ist“ (Sidel 2001: 172) und erläutern diese Behauptung unter Bezug auf indische Spendenpraktiken nach hinduistischen, Mogul- (muslimischen), British-Raj- und gandhianischen Traditionen. Wir prüfen sodann den aufstrebenden Literaturbereich zum Thema unternehmerische Philanthropie, um zu erforschen, wie diese Traditionen verbunden mit modernen globalen Unternehmens- und Wirtschaftspraktiken eine besondere Form indischer unternehmerischer Philanthropie schaffen. Wir geben zwangsläufig auch einen Überblick über die wichtigsten Kritikpunkte. Dies ist für Personen von Interesse, die sich mit indischer Philanthropie und kulturell spezifischer Philanthropiewissenschaft beschäftigen.

Resumen

La filantropía corporativa en la India está en expansión, debido a una economía de rápido crecimiento, el aumento del número de millonarios y la reciente introducción de la legislación que exige gastar el 2 % de los beneficios de la empresa en responsabilidad social corporativa. Mediante el análisis de textos históricos y antropológicos claves, argumentamos que la “filantropía empresarial tiene una historia larga y honorable en la India” (Sidel 2001: 172), y explicamos esto con referencia a las prácticas de donación indias de las tradiciones hindú, mogol (musulmana), del Raj británico y gandhiana. Después pasamos a una revisión del campo emergente de material publicado sobre filantropía corporativa, para explorar cómo estas tradiciones se sintetizaron con las prácticas económicas y empresariales mundiales contemporáneas para crear una forma diferente de la filantropía corporativa india. Necesariamente incluimos también una descripción general de sus críticas destacadas. Esto será de interés para aquellos interesados en la filantropía india y para el estudio culturalmente específico de la filantropía.

摘要

由于印度经济快速增长,亿万富翁数量上升,且近期出台了要求公司利润的2 %必须用于企业社会责任的立法,印度企业慈善事业蓬勃发展。通过对关键的历史和人类学文本的分析,我们认为,“印度的企业慈善事业拥有悠久、光荣的历史”( 西得乐 2001年:172),这可能来源于印度莫卧儿(穆斯林)、英国统治和甘地传统形成的印度捐赠规则。下面,我们评论企业慈善的新兴文学领域,探讨这些传统如何与现代全球商业和经济规则综合发展,形成印度企业慈善事业的独特形式。我们也一定包括对其显著批评的概述。这对关心印度慈善事业的人员很有意义,属于慈善事业的文化特定学术范围。

ملخص

العمل الخيري للشركات في الهند مزدهر، نظرا” إلى إقتصاد سريع النمو، إرتفاع في عدد أصحاب المليارات، والبدء حديثا” في التشريعات التي تأمررسميا” بإنفاق2٪ من أرباح الشركة على المسؤولية الإجتماعية للشركات. من خلال تحليل النصوص التاريخية والأنثروبولوجية الرئيسية، فإننا نقول إن “ الأعمال التجارية لديها تاريخ طويل في العمل الخيري ومشرف في الهند” (Sidel 2001: 172، وشرح هذا مع الإشارة إلى ممارسات العطاء الهندية من الهندوسية، المغولي (مسلم)، الحكم البريطاني وتقاليد غاندي. ننتقل بعد ذلك إلى إستعراض المجال الناشئ من الأدب على العمل الخيري للشركات، لإكتشاف كيف يمكن لهذه التقاليد أن يتم توليفها مع الممارسات التجارية والإقتصادية العالمية المعاصرة لخلق شكل متميز من العمل الخيري للشركات الهندية. نشمل بالضرورة أيضا” لمحة عامة عن الإنتقادات البارزة. هذا سوف يكون ذو فائدة لمن يعنيهم الأمر مع العمل الخيري الهندي ومنحة دراسية محددة ثقافيا” للعمل الخيري.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. For official census data see http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_And_You/religion.aspx.

  2. http://www.tata.com/aboutus/articlesinside/The-quotable-Jamsetji-Tata.

References

  • Academe Blog. (2015). Faculty statement on Narendra Modi visit to Silicon Valley. In The Academe Blog. American Association of University Professors. Retrieved December 7, 2015, from http://academeblog.org/2015/08/27/faculty-statement-on-modi-visit-to-silicon-valley/.

  • AccountAble. (2005). Accountability and Daan. In AccountAid India. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.accountaid.net/Periodicals/AccountAble/113%20-%20Accountability%20and%20Zakat.pdf.

  • Agarwal, S. (2008). Corporate social responsibility in India. Los Angeles: Response.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Agarwal, S. (2010). Daan and other traditions of giving in India: The forgotten pot of gold. New Delhi: AccountAid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agarwal, S., & Dadrawala, N. (2004). Philanthropy and law in India. In M. Sidel & I. Zaman (Eds.), Philanthropy and law in South Asia (pp. 115–181). Quezon City: Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appadurai, A. (1978). Kings, sects and temples in South India, 1350–1700 AD. In B. Stein (Ed.), South Indian temples. Delhi: Vikas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arora, B., & Puranik, R. (2004). A review of corporate social responsibility in India. Development, 47(3), 93–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayly, C. (1973). Patrons and politics in Northern India. Modern Asian Studies, 7(3), 349–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayly, C. A. (1983). Rulers, townsmen and bazaars: North India in the age of expansion 1770–1870. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birla, R. (2013). From trusteeship to corporate responsibility. In M. Cantegreil, D. Chanana, & R. Kattumuri (Eds.), Revealing Indian philanthropy (pp. 41–44). London: Alliance Publishing Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, M., & Green, M. (2010). Philanthrocapitalism: How giving can save the world, Paperback edition. London: A and C Black.

  • Bornstein, E. (2009). The impulse of philanthropy (viewpoint essay). Cultural Anthropology, 24(4), 622–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bornstein, E. (2012). Disquieting gifts: Humanitarianism in New Delhi, Kindle Edition. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

  • Brewis, G. (2010). ‘Fill Full the Mouth of Famine’: Voluntary action in famine relief in India 1896–1901. Modern Asian Studies, 44(4), 887–918.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantegreil, M., Chanana, D., & Kattumuri, R. (2013). Open questions. In M. Cantegreil, D. Chanana, & R. Kattumuri (Eds.), Revealing Indian philanthropy (pp. 108–112). London: Alliance Publishing Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caplan, L. (1998). Gifting and receiving: Anglo-Indian charity and its beneficiaries in Madras. Contributions to Indian Sociology, 32(2), 409–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chahoud, T., Emmerling, J., Kolb, D., Kubina, I., Repinski, G., & Schläger, C. (2007). Corporate social and environmental responsibility in India—Assessing the UN Global Compact’s role. Bonn: Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chanana, D. I. (2011). Insights into UHNW family philanthropy in India. Zurich: UBS AG.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandrashekha, V. (2015). India crackdown? Ford Foundation latest foreign NGO slapped by Delhi. In Christian science monitor. Retrieved February 1, 2016, from http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/World/Asia-South-Central/2015/0504/India-crackdown-Ford-Foundation-latest-foreign-NGO-slapped-by-Delhi.

  • Charities Aid Foundation. (2011). World giving index 2011. In Charities Aid Foundation. www.cafonline.org/pdf/world_giving_index_2011_191211.pdf.

  • Charities Aid Foundation. (2014). World giving index 2014. In Charities Aid Foundation. https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/about-us-publications/caf_wgi2014_report_1555awebfinal.pdf.

  • Chaturvedi, H. (1987). Rural development: Rhetoric and reality. In K. S. Shukla (Ed.), The other side of development. Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Child, J. (2009). Context, comparison, and methodology in Chinese management research. Management and Organization Review, 5(1), 57–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copeman, J. (2011). The gift and its forms of life in contemporary India. Modern Asian Studies, 45(5), 1051–1094.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dadrawala, N. (2003). Merchants of philanthropy. New Delhi: Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasra. (2013). Beyond philanthropy: Towards a collaborative approach in India. In Dasra. Retrieved December 4, 2015, from http://www.dasra.org/reports_2013/Beyond_Philanthropy_GIZ_dasra_2013.pdf.

  • Dirks, N. B. (1993). The hollow crown: Ethnohistory of an Indian Kingdom. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, M. (2010). Small change: Why business won’t save the world, Kindle edition. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

  • Gautam, R., & Singh, A. (2010). Corporate social responsibility practices in India: A study of top 500 companies. Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 2(1), 41–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh, A., & Singh, V. (2015). Census: Hindu share dips below 80%, Muslim share grows but slower. Indian Express. Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/census-hindu-share-dips-below-80-muslim-share-grows-but-slower/.

  • Godfrey, J. (2016). Engaging HNWI Indians. Journal of Development Policy and Practice, 1(1), 89–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of India. (2013). The Companies Act. New Delhi: Ministry of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregory, C. (1997). Savage money: The anthropology and politics of money exchange. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guha, R. (Ed.). (1985). Subaltern studies: Writings on South Asian history and society. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guha, R., & Spivak, G. C. (Eds.). (1988). Selected subaltern studies. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasan, S. (2015). Disseminating Asia’s third sector research. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 26(4), 1007–1014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes, D. E. (1987). From tribute to philanthropy: The politics of gift giving in a Western Indian city. The Journal of Asian Studies, 46(2), 339–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes, D. E. (1991). Rhetoric and ritual in colonial India: The shaping of public culture in Surat City, 1852–1928. Berkeley, CA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heim, M. (2004). Theories of the gift in South Asia: Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain reflections on dāna. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Development Report. (2014). Sustaining human progress: Reducing vulnerabilities and building resilience.

  • Iyer, G. R. (1999). The impact of religion and reputation in the organization of Indian merchant communities. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 14(2), 102–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansons, E. (2013). From gaining to giving wealth: The shaping of a new generation of philanthropic foundations in India. Milan: Centro Richerche Sulla Cooperazione e Sul Nonprofit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansons, E. (2015). The business leaders behind the foundations: Understanding India’s emerging philanthropists. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 26(3), 984–1006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jogdand, P., & Bansode, P. (2006). Responsive philanthropy in Mumbai: Corporate sector and social justice philanthropy. In eSocial sciences. Retrieved March, 2006, from http://www.esocialsciences.org/Articles/ShowArticle.aspx?acat=Invited+Papers&aid=407.

  • John, R. (2013). Entrepreneurial social finance in Asia. In Working paper no. 1. Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, NUS Business School. Retrieved September 8, 2015, from http://bschool.nus.edu/Portals/0/images/ACSEP/ACSEP_WP1___final_web_2013.pdf.

  • John, R. (2014). Virtuous circles: New expressions of collective philanthropy in Asia entrepreneurial social finance in Asia. In Working paper no. 3. Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy. Retrieved September 8, 2015, from http://bschool.nus.edu/Portals/0/images/ACSEP/Publications/Virtuous%20Circles%20v1-3.pdf.

  • John, R., Tan, P., & Ito, K. (2013). Innovation in Asian philanthropy. In Working paper no. 2. Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, NUS Business School. Retrieved September 8, 2015, from http://bschool.nus.edu/Portals/0/images/ACSEP/Innovation-in-Asian-Philanthropy.pdf.

  • Joshi, B. K., Panjani, M., & Swivedi, S. K. (2001). Historical background to the nonprofit sector in India. In Working paper no. 3. Society for Participatory Research in India (PRIA). Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://www.pria.org/publication/Historical%20Background%20of%20the%20Nonprofit%20sector%20in%20India%20%20Working%20Paper%203.pdf.

  • Juergensmeyer, M., & McMahon, D. M. (1998). Hindu philanthropy and civil society. In W. F. Ilchman, S. N. Katz, & E. L. Queen II (Eds.), Philanthropy in the world’s traditions (pp. 263–278). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapoor, R., & Sharma, A. K. (2000). Religious philanthropy and organised social development in India. New Delhi: Indian Centre for Philanthropy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski, G. C. (1985). Muslim endowments and society in British India. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski, G. C. (1998). Religious authority, reform, and philanthropy in the contemporary Muslim world. In W. F. Ilchman, S. N. Katz, & E. L. Queen II (Eds.), Philanthropy in the world’s traditions (pp. 279–308). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, R. (2004). The state of CSR in India 2004: Acknowledging progress, prioritizing action. In National seminar on corporate social responsibility, New Delhi, India, November 2004 (Vol. 10, p. 2004).

  • Kumar, A. (2013). Emerging philanthropy in India: Analysis of gaps and recommended interventions. National Foundation for India. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from www.nfi.org.in/sites/default/files/nfi_files/Emerging%20Philanthrophy%20in%20India_NFI.pdf.

  • Kumar, R., Murphy, D. F., & Balsari, V. (2001). Altered images the 2001 state of corporate responsibility in India poll. In Understanding and encouraging corporate responsibility in South Asia. Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI). Accessed Update 1 from http://www.terieurope.org/docs/CSR-India.pdf.

  • Lala, R. M. (1988). The heartbeat of a trust: Fifty years of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lala, R. M. (2004). The creation of wealth: The Tatas from the 19th to the 21st century. New Delhi: Penguin Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lala, R. M. (2011). The art of effective giving. New Delhi: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linderman, M. C. (2013). Royal accommodations: Pilgrim rest houses in early colonial South India. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25(2), 187–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmood, M., & Santos, F. (2011). Family philanthropy in Asia. UBS Philanthropy Services, INSEAD. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/centres/social_entrepreneurship/documents/insead_study_family_philantropy_asia.pdf.

  • Majumdar, R. C. (1920). Corporate life ancient India (2nd ed.). Calcutta: University of Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majumdar, A. B. (2015). India’s journey with corporate social responsibility—What next? The Journal of Law and Commerce, 33(2), 165–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maple, T., & Harrison, R. (2012). India giving: Insights into the nature of giving across India. Delhi: CAF India.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mauss, M. (1966). The gift: Forms and functions of exchange in archaic societies (Cunnison, I., Trans.). London: Cohen and West Ltd.

  • Mauss, M. (2002). The gift: Forms and functions of exchange in archaic societies (Halls, W. D., Trans.). London: Routledge Classics.

  • Michaels, A., & Pierce, P. (1997). Gift and return gift, greeting and return greeting in India. On a consequential footnote by Marcel Mauss. Numen-Leiden, 44, 242–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitra, M. (2007). It’s only business: India’s corporate social responsiveness in a global world. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitra, R. (2012). ‘My Country’s Future’: A culture-centered interrogation of corporate social responsibility in India. Journal of Business Ethics, 106(2), 131–147. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-0985-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohan, A. (2001). Corporate citizenship. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 2001(2), 107–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohanty, M., & Singh, A. K. (2001). Voluntarism and government: Policy, programme and assistance. New Delhi: Voluntary Action Network India.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilekani, R. (2008). Philanthropy, old and new. The Hindu. Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/philanthropy-old-and-new/article1295605.ece.

  • Osella, F., & Osella, C. (2009). Muslim entrepreneurs in public life between India and the Gulf: Making good and doing good. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 15(s1), S202–S221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palsetia, J. S. (2005). Merchant charity and public identity formation in colonial India: The case of Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 40(3), 197–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parry, J. (1980). Ghosts, greed and sin: The occupational identity of the Benares funeral priests. Man, 15(1), 88–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parry, J. (1986). The gift, the Indian gift and the ‘Indian Gift’. Man, 21(3), 453–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parry, J. (1989). On the moral perils of exchange. In J. Parry & M. Bloch (Eds.), Money and the morality of exchange (pp. 64–93). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Price, P. G. (1989). Kingly models in Indian political behavior: Culture as a medium of history. Asian Survey, 29(6), 559–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raheja, G. G. (1988). The poison in the gift: Ritual, prestation, and the dominant caste in a North Indian village. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandran, K., & Jha, R. (2009). Family and corporate philanthropy. Indian School of Business Newsletter. Retrieved August 8, 2013, from http://newsletters.isb.edu/FamilyBusiness-Newsletter/File/FamilyCorporatePhilanthropy.pdf.

  • Ramdas, K. N. (2011). Philanthrocapitalism: Reflections on politics and policy making. Society, 48(5), 393–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B. R. C., & Natarajan, R. (2011). Social history through inscriptions: Imprecations of Cuddapah District. Indian Historical Review, 38(51), 51–64. doi:10.1177/037698361103800103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rolnick, P. J. (1962). Charity, trusteeship, and social change in India: A study of a political ideology. World Politics, 14(3), 439–460. doi:10.2307/2009362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, A. (2014). The doctor and the saint. In S. Anand (Ed.), Annihilation of caste: The annotated critical edition. Brooklyn, NJ: Verso Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudner, D. W. (1987). Religious gifting and inland commerce in seventeenth-century South India. The Journal of Asian Studies, 46(2), 361–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schervish, P. G. (2008). Why the wealthy give. In A. Sargeant & W. Wymer (Eds.), The Routledge companion to nonprofit marketing (pp. 165–180). Abingdon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, S. (1992). Non-profit organisations in India: Historical development and common patterns. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 3(2), 175–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, S. K. (1996). Famine, state and society in Northern India c1800–1840. Thesis, School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS), London.

  • Sharma, S. G. (2009). Corporate social responsibility in India: An overview. International Lawyer, 43, 1515–1533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheth, A. (2010). An overview of philanthropy in India. Bain and Company. Retrieved September 29, 2015, from http://www.bain.com/Images/India_Sheth_Speech.pdf.

  • Sheth, A. (2012). Indian philanthropy report 2012. Bain and Company. http://www.bain.com/Images/REPORT_India_Philanthropy_Report_2012.pdf.

  • Sheth, A. (2013). Indian philanthropy report 2013. Bain and Company. http://www.bain.com/Images/BAIN_REPORT_India_Philanthropy_Report_2013.pdf.

  • Sheth, A. (2015). Indian philanthropy report. Bain and Company. Retrieved December 5, 2015, from http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/india-philanthropy-report-2015.aspx.

  • Sidel, M. (2000). New economy philanthropy in the high technology communities of Bangalore and Hyderabad, India: Partnership with the state and the ambiguous search for social innovation. Retrieved November 4, 2015, from http://www.rockarch.org/publications/conferences/sidel.pdf.

  • Sidel, M. (2001). Recent research on philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in India and South Asia. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 12(2), 171–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, K. A. (2002). Current status of philanthropy in India. In Charity law in the Pacific Rim. Queensland University of Technology. Retrieved December 4, 2015, from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/49998/1/49998.pdf.

  • Sood, A., & Arora, B. (2006). The political economy of corporate responsibility in India. UNRISD.

  • Srivastava, S. S., & Tandon, R. (2005). How large is India’s non-profit sector? Economic and Political Weekly, XL(19), 1948–1952.

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava, S. S., Tandon, R., Salamon, L. M., & Sokolowski, S. W. (2004). India. In L. M. Salamon & S. W. Sokolowski (Eds.), Global civil society: Dimensions of the nonprofit sector (pp. 157–169). Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundar, P. (1996). Women and philanthropy in India. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 7(4), 412–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundar, P. (2000). Beyond business: From merchant charity to corporate citizenship: Indian business philanthropy through the ages. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundar, P. (Ed.). (2002a). For God’s sake: Religious charity and social development in India. New Delhi: Sampradaan, Indian Centre for Philanthropy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundar, P. (2002b). Introduction. In P. Sundar (Ed.), For God’s sake: Religious charity and social development in India (pp. 1–40). New Delhi: Sampradaan, Indian Centre for Philanthropy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundar, P. (2013). Business and community: The story of corporate social responsibility in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications India.

    Google Scholar 

  • Timane, R., & Tale, T. (2012). A study of corporate social responsibility in India. International Journal of Research in IT and Management, 2(12), 12–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trautmann, T. R. (1981). Dravidian kinship. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, A. S. (2004). Contributing to global management knowledge: A case for high quality indigenous research. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 21(4), 491–513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2015). World population prospects: The 2015 revision. New York: United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varadarajan, D., & Chanana, D. (2013). A changing of the guard. In M. Cantegreil, D. Chanana, & R. Kattumuri (Eds.), Revealing Indian philanthropy (pp. 69–74). London: Alliance Publishing Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viswanath, P., & Dadrawala, N. (2004a). Philanthropy and equity: The case of India. In Global equity initiative. Harvard University. http://www.wingsweb.org/download/Phil_India_Case.pdf.

  • Viswanath, P., & Dadrawala, N. (2004b). Philanthropy and equity: The case of India. In Global equity initiative. Harvard University. Retrieved February 14, 2015, from http://www.cbd.int/financial/charity/india-phequity.pdf.

  • Watt, C. A. (2005). Serving the nation: Cultures of service, association and citizenship. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Watt, C. A. (2011). Philanthropy and civilizing missions in India c 1820–1960: States, NGOs and development. In M. Mann & C. A. Watt (Eds.), Civilizing missions in colonial and postcolonial South Asia: From Improvement to development. Anthem South Asian studies (pp. 271–310). London: Anthem Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, D. L. (1991). From crisis to community definition: The dynamics of eighteenth-century Parsi philanthropy. Modern Asian Studies, 25(2), 303–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank Group. (2015). GDP per capita (current US$). Retrieved November 26, 2015, from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The foundational review essay by Professor Mark Sidel, published in this journal in 2001, inspired this study. Sidel’s essay was the first international article to focus on illuminating studies of South Asian philanthropy and the non-profit sector for a global readership. While we have narrowed the focus to more specifically reflect the current authors’ research interests, we remain indebted to him for laying the foundation for, and offering generous encouragement to, the current study. Thanks also to Professor Jo Barraket, Dr. Christopher Mason, Dr. Michael Moran and Professor John Webb, who offered thoughtful comments on early drafts.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Business & Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia

    John Godfrey

  2. Centre for Social Impact-Swinburne, Faculty of Business & Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia

    Elizabeth Branigan

  3. Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Sabith Khan

Authors
  1. John Godfrey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elizabeth Branigan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sabith Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Godfrey.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Godfrey, J., Branigan, E. & Khan, S. Old and New Forms of Giving: Understanding Corporate Philanthropy in India. Voluntas 28, 672–696 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9693-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9693-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation