# Priti Adani: Philanthropy must build capacity, not just run programmes 2026-08-25T19:15:00+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Dr Priti Adani, chairperson of the Adani Foundation, said philanthropy must go beyond running programmes and focus on building capacity for lasting change. Speaking at an event, she said for millions of women, independence means "the freedom of choice, the freedom of opportunity and the freedom of upward mobility." Dr Adani stressed that sustainable development requires empowering communities with skills and systems rather than providing temporary aid. She called for long-term investments in education, healthcare and livelihood creation to enable self-reliance. The Adani Foundation runs initiatives across 19 states in India, focusing on education, health, sustainable livelihood and community infrastructure. Dr Adani said the goal is to create measurable social impact that outlasts individual projects. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The distinction between capacity building and programme delivery is central to a long-running debate in Indian philanthropy, where critics often argue that corporate social responsibility spending remains fragmented and project-driven. Under the Companies Act, 2013, firms above a threshold must spend at least 2% of net profit on CSR, but the law does not mandate long-term capacity building. Foundations such as the Adani Foundation operate across multiple states, and the shift towards systemic work would require multi-year commitments and measurable outcomes. The impact of such a pivot will be visible in how CSR portfolios evolve in the next annual reporting cycle, when companies disclose whether their spending has moved from standalone camps to institutional capacity. ## Coverage - ndtv.com Straightforward report of Dr Adani's remarks with no framing or editorialising. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Adani Foundation, CSR, philanthropy, Priti Adani Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/priti-adani-philanthropy-must-build-capacity-not-just-run-programmes/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/priti-adani-philanthropy-must-build-capacity-not-just-run-programmes/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/