Sunil Kant Munjal on Patronage, Purpose, and Building Institutions That Endure

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.

On Investing His Time and Philanthropy

“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.