Bridgespan Remarkable Giver Series: Conversations with Rajashree Birla

Rajashree Birla, Chairperson Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiative and Rural Development (Photo: Umesh Goswami /The India Today Group/Getty Images)

Conversations with Remarkable Givers: India is an initiative of The Bridgespan Group, a philanthropy and NGO advisory firm. This video series provides a behind-the-scenes look at philanthropy in India from the perspectives of eminent givers.

In this second installment in the series,* Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan, Rajashree Birla, Rakesh Mittal, Sunil Munjal, and Sunil Wadhwani share their perspectives on their personal giving journeys, choice of issues to advance, collaborations with grantees, vision for Indian philanthropy, and much more. The videos were made possible by the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rajashree Birla serves as the director of several major companies in the Aditya Birla Group, including Aditya Birla Nuvo, UltraTech Cement Ltd., Grasim, and Hindalco. She also spearheads the group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development. The Centre focuses on rural development, education, healthcare, and sanitation, with an emphasis on holistic community development. In recognition of her philanthropic efforts, Mrs. Birla was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

On what has motivated her philanthropy...

Rajashree Birla describes the Birla approach to corporate social responsibility...

Rajashree Birla says polio eradication work has been the "most gratifying"...

Four pillars undergird corporate social responsibility success, says Rajashree Birla...

Rajashree Birla on putting "people first" in corporate social responsibility

Focus on skill building and nation building, Rajashree Birla advises corporates

Rajashree Birla on the power of partnering with NGOs...