Grooming future leaders for social change

Bain Capital India's chairman Amit Chandra on sacrificing short-term gains

- Shail Desai

The idea of giving was inculcated in Amit Chandra by his mother and sister. Though money was scarce for the middle-class family, he volunteered his time and contributed with his skills instead.

“Between my wife Archana and I, we didn’t have much spare income after paying for accommodation, but given how much the largesse of others had shaped me, I wanted to start giving back early on,” says Mumbai-based Chandra, 57, Chairman, Bain Capital India, and Founder of ATE Chandra Foundation.

They started out by supporting education as a cause, working closely with organisations like Akanksha Foundation. By the time Chandra launched Bain Capital India in 2008, the couple decided to give away most of their income in order to support and engage with other NGOs.