Sunil Kant Munjal’s engagement with philanthropy is rooted in a lifelong belief that culture must be nurtured, not merely celebrated. Long before his initiatives took institutional form, his home functioned as an informal cultural centre, where music, conversation, and artistic exchange were integral to everyday life.
Over the past two decades, this sensibility has evolved into a structured philanthropic vision focused on reviving patronage for the arts. In 1999, Munjal established a performing arts foundation in Ludhiana, signalling a commitment to decentralising cultural support beyond major urban centres. This philosophy matured with the founding of the Serendipity Arts Foundation in 2014, followed by the Serendipity Arts Festival, conceived as a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and experimentation. Together, these initiatives reflect a philanthropy driven not by spectacle, but by the long-term sustenance and evolution of artistic ecosystems. The intention, he says, was always growth with integrity. Yet, its purpose remains rooted in something far more fundamental: restoring a culture of philanthropy.
Alongside, he co-founded BML Munjal University (BMU) with a strong emphasis on practical learning and industry relevance, aiming to nurture future leaders. He also serves on the boards of premier institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad and the University of Tokyo, where he contributes to shaping educational policy. In the healthcare sector, he is the President of Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, one of North India’s leading medical colleges and hospitals.
Beyond these roles, he has played a significant part in social responsibility and public policy as the former President of key industry bodies like CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and AIMA (All India Management Association), and through his involvement in influential government committees, including the Kelkar Committee on tax reform and other consultative groups on economic policy.
In conversation with Mr. Munjal we discussed about his views on philanthropy, patronage and purpose.
Sunil Kumar Munjal (SM): So, giving is not new in India. It has been around for a very long time. Keeping cold water outside your home, donating to the local school, or to a charitable hospital was pretty commonplace. But large, organised giving was missing from India. What you are calling philanthropy in the modern sense has been missing for two different reasons.
One, India was never allowed to Indians were never allowed to, accumulate wealth. Our entire structure of compensation and taxation was such that large accumulation was never allowed. So, we never had large resources to give. Even in families which had businesses going on for multiple generations, there was always a constraint on how much liquidity you could actually give.
It is only in the last 30 years or so that this has started to change. So, organised philanthropy is now really taking root in India.
SM: We didn’t start off like this. Our parents were refugees. Like millions of others, they left everything behind and came with nothing from their homes. In a pretty short time, through sheer hard work, a lot of good luck, and the blessings of the Almighty, I think we’ve reached the place we are today. That also demonstrates that if you do things right, things can work out for you. But there are just too many who do not have access. What philanthropy has shown me continuously is that the more you do, the more you should learn to do more. It’s not enough to just do one thing and walk away. That’s just not enough. We have too large a section of our planet that is not privileged and is impoverished. In India itself, we talk about becoming a global nation and a leading economy, but we still have millions and millions of people who do not have access to anything.
SM: There are many foundations that accept partnerships, donors, philanthropists, supporters, and sponsors. They exist in all areas. First, identify what you are passionate about. You should engage in something that speaks to you. I’ve encouraged even our future generations—our grand kids—to pick their passion early. If you can turn your passion into your profession, there’s nothing better in life. Alongside that, you learn that giving is also getting. Giving is a privilege.
“We don’t run one large foundation. We run several, each focused on a specific area: education, skilling, healthcare, gender, and arts. Each is run with the same rigour as our business's governance, systems, and talent. Scale is also very important to us. High impact for one individual is meaningful, but high impact for a large number of people is transformative. Today, we have over 30,000 children studying in our schools. Our teaching hospital in Ludhiana is among the largest in the country, and it serves an enormous population every year, says Munjal.
This philosophy extends beyond the arts. As President of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, Munjal has championed affordable healthcare at scale, ensuring access for vast populations across North India. In education, his work with BML Munjal University reflects a belief in institutions that prepare students not just for employment, but for thoughtful citizenship.
Sunil Kant Munjal believes that India’s artistic inheritance has suffered not from lack of richness, but from prolonged neglect. “We have one of the richest cultural heritages in the world, but sadly, over the last 500 years or so, it has either been discouraged or allowed to decline. A large part of it has been lost,” he notes. Revival, however, is not about nostalgia alone. For him, the arts must be relevant to the present and responsive to the future. “Art cannot exist only as our past; it has to be our future as well.” What distinguishes his approach to giving is not its visibility, but its patience. It is about building frameworks that outlast individual presence.
In a world increasingly drawn to immediacy, his work serves as a reminder that true cultural stewardship requires time, trust, and the courage to think generationally.