Venkat Krishnan on Giving, Inequality, and Why India’s Poor Are the Most Generous

Venkat Krishnan on Giving, Inequality & Why India’s Poor Are the Most Generous | Catalysts for Change
On his social media profile, Venkat Krishnan describes himself simply as an investor, donor, volunteer, community servant, and a #LivingMyPromise signatory. It is a striking understatement. In this episode of Catalysts for Change: Conversations on Philanthropy, Venkat Krishnan, one of India’s most respected voices in giving, reflects on a life shaped by generosity, conviction, and quiet leadership. This year alone, his philanthropic giving will touch Rs 5 crore, a figure that continues to grow steadily. Venkat is among the founding forces behind some of India’s most influential philanthropy initiatives. He co-founded GiveIndia, one of the world’s earliest large-scale platforms for crowdsourced giving, helped establish a pioneering school in Ahmedabad where social hierarchies dissolved in classrooms, and was part of the small group that started The Joy of Giving Week, now known as Daan Utsav, India’s nationwide festival of giving. He also initiated Living My Promise, committing to give away at least half his wealth in his lifetime. In conversation with author and journalist Kavitha Iyer, Venkat speaks candidly about:

Why he began questioning inequality in India

How Daan Utsav was born and what it revealed about Indian generosity

Why the poor are often the most generous givers

His views on wealth, responsibility, and the idea of a wealth tax

An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, and a lifelong institution-builder, Venkat now spends over 90% of his time and money promoting volunteering and giving across India. Listen to this episode of Catalysts for Change, where we explore ideas, choices and journeys shaping
Indian philanthropy today.

#IndianPhilanthropy #GiveIndia #DaanUtsav #JoyOfGivingWeek

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