Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani in January 2013
Born1960
NationalityIndian
Other namesNoni
Alma materElphinstone College
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai
Occupation(s)Writer, Philanthropist, and former Chairperson of Arghyam Foundation
Organization(s)Infosys, Arghyam Foundation, Akshara Foundation, Pratham Books, EkStep, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
Notable workStillborn (1998)
TelevisionUncommon Ground (NDTV)
SpouseNandan Nilekani
WebsiteOfficial website

Rohini Nilekani (born 1960) is an Indian writer, author and philanthropist.[1] She is the founder of Arghyam Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on water and sanitation issues, founded in 2001.[2][3] She also chairs the Akshara Foundation, which focuses on elementary education.[4] Nilekani serves as the co-founder and director of non-profit education platform, EkStep.[5][6] She is chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.[7]

Early life

Rohini grew up in a middle-class family in Mumbai, India. Her father was an engineer and her mother a homemaker. She holds a degree in French literature from Elphinstone College.[8]

Career and work

After completing her studies, Rohini started working as a reporter at the now-defunct Bombay Magazine in 1980 and later worked in Bangalore for Sunday magazine.[4]

In 1998, she released her first novel, Stillborn, which was published by Penguin Books. Stillborn was a medical thriller novel and was well received by the readers.[6] She has written and published her own children's stories, Sringeri Series, published by Pratham Books, a non-profit publisher of children's books, which she co-founded in 2004.[6]

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh briefing on 'Nirmal Bharat Yatra' to create awareness about sanitation, in New Delhi on September 28, 2012. The actress Vidya Balan and Rohini Nilekani are also seen.

Her second book, Uncommon Ground, a nonfiction work based on her reporting as an anchor of the 2008 Indian TV program of the same name. Uncommon Ground was also published by Penguin Books in 2011.[9][6] In 2001, Rohini Nilekani founded Arghyam Foundation, a non-profit that works on water and sanitation issues and is funded by her personal endowment.[4]

Nilekani is on the board of trustees of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).[10] She serves on the Eminent Persons Advisory Group of the Competition Commission of India since May 2012.[11] In July 2011, she was appointed as a member of the Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.[12] She was inducted as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017.[13]

She took retirement as the chairperson of the Arghyam Foundation in September 2021.[14] Nilekani currently supports 80 civil society organizations working on climate change, gender equity, justice, governance and animal welfare.[15]

Published books

Year Title Publishing house International Standard Book Number
1998 Stillborn Penguin India ISBN 9780670085620
2011 Uncommon Ground Penguin India ISBN 9788182638945
2020 The Hungry Little Sky Monster Juggernaut Books ISBN 9789353451349
2022 Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: a citizen-first approach Notion Press ISBN 9798887336947

Philanthropy

Nilekani is also a philanthropist and pledged ₹50 crores to Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).[16] In December 2013, Rohini and her husband, Nandan Nilekani donated ₹50 crores to the National Council of Applied Economic Research to build a new India center at its New Delhi campus.[17] In August 2013, she sold 5.77 lakh shares in Infosys to raise about ₹164 crores for philanthropic work.[18] She was named as one of Asia's Heroes Of Philanthropy by Forbes Magazine in 2010 and 2014.[19][20] She supports around 80 civil society organizations, working in climate change, gender equity, independent media, governance and the animal welfare sector.[15] She won the Best Grassroots Philanthropist at Forbes India Leadership Awards in March 2022.[15] She received the Philanthropist of the Year 2020-21 Award from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).[21]

In October 2022, the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022 was released, featuring rankings for both male and female philanthropists, with Rohini Nilekani topping the list of women philanthropists by donating ₹120 crore in the financial year 2022. Her donations were primarily focused on the areas of education and environmental sustainability.[22] In November 2022, Rohini Nilekani along with Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Kris Gopalakrishnan collectively donated ₹51 crore to Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB), a not-for-profit public institution for research-based engagement.[23]

In April 2023, Rohini Nilekani, through the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation, made a donation of ₹100 crore to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru to support and accelerate research and treatment in five major areas of mental health.[24][7]

Personal life

Rohini is married to Nandan Nilekani. She met him at a quiz competition at her college in 1977. The couple has two children, Janhavi and Nihar.[25] Her daughter Janhavi Nilekani is the founder of Aastrika Foundation which works in the field of maternal health.[26]

References

  1. ↑ Kallury, Kruttika (24 January 2011). "The fountain heads". India Today.
  2. ↑ "Woman of 2013 - Rohini Nilekani: One of India's best-known philanthropists". The Economic Times. 5 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "ET Women's Forum: Kiran Nadar, Rohini Nilekani, Dipali Goenka battled sexism, prejudice to stay on top". The Economic Times. 11 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Belle, Nithin (11 December 2011). "Hosting dialogues between unlike groups of people". Khaleej Times.
  5. ↑ Goyal, Malini; Aravind, Indulekha (12 July 2015). "Nandan & Rohini Nilekani's 'world of good': How they are working on community-minded projects like EkStep". The Economic Times.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Balancing Act: How Rohini Nilekani juggled motherhood and career pressures". CNBC TV18. 28 September 2019.
  7. 1 2 Kumar, Chethan (2 April 2023). "Mental health needs more funding: Rohini Nilekani". The Times of India.
  8. ↑ Banerjee, Soumyadipta. "'I carry the spirit of Mumbai in myself'". DNA India.
  9. ↑ "Rohini Nilekani's book launched". Deccan Herald. 14 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Boards". atree.org. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  11. ↑ Nigam, Aditi (8 May 2012). "Competition panel sets up eminent persons advisory group". The Hindu Business Line.
  12. ↑ "New audit advisory board for CAG". The Hindu. 23 July 2011.
  13. ↑ Albanese Jr., Giovanni (19 April 2017). "Accomplished Scholars Elected New Members of American Academy of Arts and Sciences". India West. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017.
  14. ↑ "Arghyam announces Rohini Nilekani's retirement; Sunita Nadhamuni to succeed from Oct 1". The Economic Times. 28 June 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Shekhar, Divya J (25 March 2022). "Indian philanthropists need to become bolder, lead with trust, look for new areas to fund: Rohini Nilekani". Forbes India.
  16. ↑ "Rohini Nilekani pledges ₹50 cr. to ATREE". The Hindu. 12 April 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  17. ↑ "Nilekani couple gifts Rs 50 cr to NCAER". The Hindu Business Line. 18 December 2013.
  18. ↑ "Rohini Nilekani sells Infosys shares, raises '163 cr for charity". Livemint. 3 August 2013.
  19. ↑ "Asia's Heroes Of Philanthropy". Forbes Magazine. 8 March 2010.
  20. ↑ "4 Indians make it to the Forbes Asia philanthropy list". Rediff.com. 27 June 2014.
  21. ↑ "ASSOCHAM's 10th Responsible Organisation Excellence Awards 2020-21". ASSOCHAM. 16 March 2022.
  22. ↑ Saeed, Umaima (27 October 2022). "Rohini Nilekani is India's most generous woman with an annual donation of Rs 120 crore". GQ (Indian edition).
  23. ↑ Kumar, Chethan (14 November 2022). "Bengaluru: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Kris Gopalakrishnan and Rohini Nilekani donate Rs 51 crore to Science Gallery". The Times of India.
  24. ↑ "Rohini Nilekani's trust grants Rs 100 crore to Nimhans to boost research in 5 mental ailments". Indian Express. 1 April 2023.
  25. ↑ "How Nilekani's children reacted to half their inheritance being donated". The Economic Times. 23 November 2017.
  26. ↑ P., Suraksha (17 July 2022). "Accidental healthcare entrepreneur Janhavi Nilekani wants to transform childbirth experience". The Economic Times.
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