Bharti Family pledges Rs 7,000 crore for philanthropic activities, plans university for underprivileged

The Bharti Family has pledged 10 per cent of their wealth, including 3 per cent of their stake in group flagship Bharti Airtel, for philanthropic purposes through the activities of Bharti Foundation, the Group’s philanthropic arm. Bharti Foundation is one of the few professionally managed philanthropic bodies in India.

This amount comes down to approximately of Rs 7,000 crore. The Bharti Family envisions to significantly step up the scope and reach of Bharti Foundation’s activities and further enable the Foundation to develop and execute innovative development models to support the aspirations of India’s underprivileged, including students of Satya Bharti Schools.

Bharti Foundation is a leading contributor to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that is addressing the sanitation needs of poor households in the country. The Foundation has built approximately 18,000 toilets in Punjab’s Ludhiana, making it an open defecation-free (ODF) district benefitting approximately 90,000 people. Bharti Foundation has now undertaken another similar initiative to make Amritsar district in Punjab ODF with a target to build 50,000 toilets in collaboration with the Punjab Government.

Announcing the commitment, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, and Chairman, Bharti Foundation, said, “Today is a major milestone in the journey of the Bharti Family. Being first generation entrepreneurs, we feel absolutely privileged that this nation gave us the opportunity to imagine and build world-class businesses. Bharti’s DNA has always been about creating a deep positive impact on society through our businesses, and we are proud to have contributed to the India growth story.”

Today, Bharti Foundation also announced its plans to set up Satya Bharti University for Science and Technology to complement its existing programmes in the area of education. The University will have a strong focus on future technologies like AI, Robotics, AR/VR, IoT, in addition to offering degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Management.

“Firm believers in Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Trusteeship, we have always reckoned that ownership of business is a social responsibility, and wealth creation cannot be an end in itself. Even when we were small in size and relatively modest with our business goals, we always aspired to be part of the wider nation-building process,” added Mittal.

Making the announcement, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, and Co-Chairman, Bharti Foundation, said, “Having built a successful model for primary and senior schooling under Satya Bharti Schools, Bharti Family plans to build Satya Bharti University, a world-class institution, to support the higher education aspirations of India’s youth. Our aspiration is to develop it into a centre of excellence not just in India but globally.”

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