The generosity of Indians

The local Indian newspaper (India Currents) today had a story of the Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani building for his family of six, a house in Mumbai which is estimated to cost over 500 million dollars! The house is described as 27 stories high, with parking for 168 cars, so on. I wonder if Mr. Ambani is hoping for an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, which is a fascination for many Indians. The rapid economic growth is creating many millionaires and a few billionaires in India. Their extravagant spending for weddings and parties, often create news. But I seldom hear anything about their philanthropy. I guess it is not fashionable to be generous in India. Here in USA things are quite different. Americans are the most charitable people in the world. They take pride in their contributions to their church and other charities. The rich strive for recognition through their philanthropy. Happily, this trait has rubbed off on the Indians who have been living in USA for many years and making money. India Currents often has news stories about affluent USA based Indians making substantial contributions to the hospitals and other charitable organizations in India. This is a good thing. I hope the rich in India who follow the fashions and trends in USA, will copy this style also!