Pre-Independence Period

The arrival of the East India Company in 1620 AD was a milestone in the history of trade
and social-political environment of India. Over the next 200 years, the initial
trade and business interest of the East India Company changed to the social and
political management of the country by the company executives until 1885, when
India came under the British crown. The business leaders of the emerging
indigenous industry remained rooted in the tradition of philanthropy, which
gradually metamorphosed into businesses consciously contributing to social
development to liberate India. The period between 1850 to early 1900 witnessed
businesses setting up trusts and endowment funds.

The single most important factor influencing business Philanthropy in the pre-independence
period was the emergence of Mahatma Gandhi as a political and social leader.