YOUNG ALTRUISTS

The philanthropic activities and goals of Nithin and Nikhil Kamath, brothers and co-founders of online brokerage firm Zerodha, placed them among the top 10 individual givers in the country last year. This year, Nikhil topped up his commitment by pledging to give away half of his wealth

- Vinita Bhatia

Abhishek Sinha, founder of GoodDot, a plant-based meat products start-up, still remembers his virtual interaction with Nithin Kamath, co-founder of online stock trading platform Zerodha. He found him grounded and eager to help companies better manage their sustainability initiatives through his Rainmatter Foundation. What struck Sinha the most was Nithin’s belief that “the next big wealth globally will be created by someone who will solve any of the critical problems related to climate.”

Sinha considers them the apt role models for India’s youngistan. They have successfully built a newage brokerage firm and taken it to the status of a unicorn, and, more significantly, achieved this feat while remaining bootstrapped. But more than this financial accomplishment, Sinha finds their aspiration for selfactualisation even more heartening. The brothers are known not just for their successful business venture but also for their philanthropic activities.

In 2021, the Kamath brothers had pledged a quarter of their wealth to philanthropy, with plans to donate Rs 750 crore over the next three years. They are ranked ninth in the list of individual givers in India, as per the EdelGive Hurun Philanthropy List 2022 which also states that their donations jumped 308% to reach Rs 100 crore in FY22. In June this year, Nikhil, 37, became the fourth and the youngest Indian to join the Giving Pledge, a global initiative by billionaires to promote philanthropy. He has committed to giving away 50% of his wealth. Other Indians in this list include former Wipro chairman Azim Premji, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini.