India’s philanthropy story is often told through the lens of high-profile corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, billionaire donations, and prominent foundations. However, a new report from the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University, titled *How India Gives 2025*, challenges this conventional narrative. The report reveals that the true engine of generosity in India is not elite-driven institutional giving but the everyday contributions of ordinary households across the country.
According to the CSIP report, Indian households collectively contribute an estimated 540 billion rupees (approximately $6 billion) annually through a mix of cash donations, in-kind contributions, and volunteering. This massive figure underscores the scale and significance of grassroots philanthropy, which has often been overshadowed by the more visible, top-down forms of giving. Around 68% of survey respondents reported giving in some form, highlighting how widespread generosity is across the population.
Breaking down the types of giving, the report found that nearly half (48%) of contributions are in-kind donations, such as food, clothing, and other household goods. Cash donations constitute 44% of giving, while volunteering accounts for about 30%. Much of the in-kind giving, especially food, is directed toward communal free kitchens that provide meals to those in need. Volunteering is most commonly associated with religious institutions, where people engage in activities ranging from routine services to disaster relief efforts.
Jinny Uppal, head of the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy, emphasized the cultural embeddedness of generosity in India. She told the BBC, “India is a very generous country. Our findings suggest that ordinary households play a much larger role than is commonly acknowledged. Generosity appears widespread and culturally embedded.” This insight reframes Indian philanthropy as a mass movement—local, relational, and deeply driven by faith and personal connections—rather than a phenomenon dominated by wealthy elites and institutional actors.
The findings are drawn from a large-scale survey involving more than 7,000 interviews conducted in 20 states, encompassing both urban and rural areas. The research methodology was robust, linking the survey data with India’s National Sample Survey (NSS) consumption data—a government-run household expenditure survey. This allowed the researchers to segment giving patterns by income levels and to produce nationally representative estimates. Respondents reported their giving behaviors over a three-month recall period, which the researchers then extrapolated to annual figures.
The survey’s scope was broad, capturing what the report terms “everyday giving.” This includes direct, personal help—such as assistance to beggars, family, or friends—which is often seen as charity, as well as donations to organized, non-religious institutions typically classified as philanthropy. Importantly, the survey also included informal giving to religious institutions and direct individual aid, offering a more comprehensive view of Indian generosity than previous studies that focused mainly on registered nonprofits and formal donations.
One of the key findings is the strong influence of faith and proximity on giving patterns. About 40–45% of charitable contributions flow to religious organizations, with a similar proportion going directly to destitute individuals, especially in urban areas. In rural India, religious institutions tend to be the primary recipients of donations. The motivations behind this giving were explored through behavioral questions, revealing that over 90% of respondents cited a sense of religious duty as the fundamental driver of their generosity. This moral obligation, deeply rooted in cultural and religious traditions, shapes and sustains giving habits across the country.
The ways in which people encounter opportunities to give also reflect India’s distinctive social fabric. Most giving is triggered by in-person requests or canvassing—direct appeals made at homes, religious sites, or public spaces—rather than through digital campaigns or formal fundraising drives. This face-to-face interaction reinforces the relational nature of generosity and the importance of community networks in mobilizing support.
Education emerges as another important factor in giving behavior. Donor participation peaks among individuals with graduate and postgraduate degrees, indicating a positive correlation between education and generosity. However, giving is not limited to the affluent. Even households with low monthly consumption (around 4,000–5,000 rupees) report significant participation in charitable activities, with about half of such households giving regularly. Participation rates increase with income, reaching 70–80% among higher-consuming households.
Gender dynamics in philanthropy are subtle but noteworthy. The report found that male-headed households are slightly more inclined toward religious giving, whereas female-headed households