One of the most important contributions to studies of philanthropy in recent decades, this is an eloquent, ground-breaking study of the relationship between elites and development, raising new insights into the role of philanthropy in nation-building.

Professor Linsey McGoey, University of Essex, UK and author of No Such Thing as a Free Gift

Arun Kumar has written a fascinating archive-based study of Indian philanthropy over the course of the twentieth century. The book shows in great depth and detail how Indian elite philanthropies - from Bombay Parsis, Marwaris in Calcutta, and Ahmedabad's textile industrialists – forged their ideas of modernity and development within colonial India and after independence. Those elites' caste and religious identities ensured disagreements and debates on the meaning of development and modernity, yet played a profound role in the development of key development concepts such as self-reliance. This comparative approach is one of the most fascinating aspects of this landmark, ground-breaking study.
There are few such in depth and detailed original studies of Indian philanthropy – Arun Kumar's book has set a very high bar for future scholars.

Professor Inderjeet Parmar, City University of London, UK and author of Foundations of the American Century