Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman of Vedanta Resources Ltd., is well known for his philanthropy, pledging 75 per cent of his family’s wealth to charity in 2014. And, on Sunday, at a school function, he imbibed the thought of giving back to others or society among the large number of school students. He said he would give £20 to each student, and they would have 30 days to come back and tell him how they spent it to help others. The large number of boys and girls in the huge hall went gaga over the plan.
Speaking at the opening of Surana High Tech International School in Chennai on Sunday, Agarwal said, “We believe in giving. Let them decide where they want to spend this money to help others. You can call this charity or any other name. You have to help others,” he said.
Agarwal told the school principal to identify five girls to develop a portal where everybody could write how they spent the money.
“It is nice to have a competition. This is one way through which I am going to connect with you. This will be done in 30 days. Your mind will open up. Who do I help? How do I go? You may think of charity or helping a friend. Do that and write. This is just a foundation. I am sure that in time to come, this will be your habit to help others. The more you help others, the more you will get from them,” he told the students.
“The entire world is looking at youngsters and Indians because we are flexible, we have a value system, and we respect our parents and our community,” he said.
This is your time. In our time, there were a lot of difficulties. You are the ones who are innovating and changing the world for the better. You are the people who would lead in politics and business. Every young person has some idea. You have your inner strength and passion. Please pursue that because this will take you to different places. The smartphone is the window to the world,” he said.
Agarwal said Tamil Nadu is a land of opportunity, spiritualism, entertainment, and sports. Whatever you talk about, Tamil Nadu is the place. “I have not seen anywhere women empowered what you see in Tamil Nadu. It is amazing how this State is ahead of everybody. Major manufacturing of the entire automobile comes from here. The best of textiles being used anywhere in the world comes from the State. The State provides the best human resources. If you go to Silicon Valley, you ses people from TN. People don’t want John. People want Raghavan,” he said jokingly.
“I met former chief minister J Jayalalithaa to set up the largest copper business at Tuticorin and acquire Madras Aluminium’s plant at Mettur. I always find this to be the land of Karma Bhoomi,” he said.
Surana Group of Institutions has inked a pact with US-based High Tech High School to set up the Surana High Tech International School at Besant Nagar, Chennai, at an investment of over ₹100 crore.
After the event, Agarwal spoke briefly to the media on Tamil Nadu’s advantage but left without responding to a query on the issue of the Sterlite plant at Thoothudi, which was shut in 2018 following a prolonged protest by locals for allegedly causing pollution and posing a health hazard.