Philanthropy is all about sharing. If there's an opportunity to collaborate, we will. Collaborating just for finance is pointless. It has to be like a business collaboration.
The important thing for my father bringing me on the board of HCL Technologies was to expose me to our largest asset, which is HCL Technologies.
My mother and father are exceptionally proud Indians. They always wanted to contribute, to give back philanthropically, especially in the field of education.
When students get into a great university, it's a huge aspirational lift for their village. These students become beacons of hope.
I am privileged to have the kind of platform I do and the kind of support I do. A lot of women in this country don't have that.
The largest expense in our philanthropy is capital expenditure because we are building these institutions. This institution-building idea stems from my father because he has the experience of building a company from scratch.
Media really excited me. As an undergrad, I majored in radio, television, and film and did internships with CNBC and CNN. My first job was at Sky News in London.
Along with my dad, my mother's pretty high up there. She's a star! Her interests are so diverse - she's an art collector and a sports enthusiast.
Most of India is rural; there is a huge population in India not being tapped for their excellence. They have no access to great universities.
Our aim is to set some kind of benchmark and standards for transparency and governance in private philanthropy.
Look at the exposure I am getting, and look at what I am learning from people at literally an arm's length. I am truly privileged to have that experience and even sitting and working with people who I have grown up with. You learn a lot from their experiences.
I did not want to be an engineer or be in information technology, and my parents were supportive of my decision.