Bharat Desai And Neerja Sethi Among 11 New Billionaires To Join Giving Pledge

India-West News Desk

TROY, MI – Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi have joined the Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. The announcement coincides with the 15th anniversary of the global initiative founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett in 2010.

In a landmark year for the initiative, Desai and Sethi are among 11 new signatories—eight couples and three individuals—who have pledged over the past year. The Giving Pledge now includes more than 250 of the world’s wealthiest individuals and families from 30 countries, united by a shared commitment to use their resources to address some of humanity’s most urgent challenges.

Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi co-founded Syntel, a pioneering IT consulting and outsourcing company, in 1980 from their apartment. Today, Desai’s estimated net worth stands at $1.6 billion, and Sethi’s at $1 billion. Their philanthropic focus includes promoting education, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility, primarily through the Ds Foundation and the Desai Sethi Foundation, which supports underserved youth in Michigan and Florida.

Desai, born in Mombasa, is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan. Sethi earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and MBA from Delhi University, followed by an M.S. in Computer Science from Oakland University. The couple also contributes millions annually through a donor-advised fund and supports a wide network of nonprofit initiatives.

Other new signatories to the Giving Pledge this year include Cameron Adams and Lisa Miller (Australia), Muna Easa Al Gurg (United Arab Emirates), and several American philanthropists such as Drew and Erin Houston, Jay and Michaela Hoag, Jim and Anna McKelvey, Glen Tullman, and Lisa and Matt Sonsini. The 2025 cohort is the largest since 2021 and includes six Forbes-listed billionaires with a combined net worth of approximately $9.3 billion.

“There’s never been a greater need for philanthropy—and never a greater opportunity to make a difference,” said Bill Gates. “I’m thrilled to welcome this newest group of pledgers who share our belief in giving back to society.”