Gautam Adani leads Forbes philanthropists' chart

Singapore: Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota, as well as Malaysian-Indian businessman Brahmal Vasudevan and his lawyer wife Shanthi Kandiah, were named in the 16th edition of Forbes Asia's Heroes of Philanthropy list released on Tuesday.

"The unranked list highlights leading altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes," Forbes said in a press release. Adani was listed for having pledged Rs60,000 crore ($7.7 billion) when he turned 60 in June this year. The pledge makes him one of India's most generous philanthropists, the press release said. The money will address healthcare, education, and skill development and will be channelled through the family's Adani Foundation, which was founded in 1996.

Each year, the foundation helps nearly 3.7 million people across India. Self-made billionaire and philanthropist Shiv Nadar counts among the top donors in India, having channelled close to $1 billion of his wealth over a few decades to various social causes through the eponymous Shiv Nadar Foundation.