The latest donation takes Indian billionaire Azim Premji's total giving to $21 billion, making him the most generous in India's corporate history. 

Dispelling the notion that charitable giving is a Western concept, Indian tech czar Azim Premji of Wipro has donated $7.5 billion of the company's shares to support philanthropy. A statement issued by the company earlier this week confirmed that 34 percent of its stock has been irrevocably pledged to the Azim Premji Foundation, making Premji's donation the most generous in India's corporate history.

The most recent donation will give the foundation 67 percent ownership of one of the world's technology giants. The 73-year old Premji is India's second-richest man behind Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani, who was in the news most recently for the splashy party in St. Moritz he hosted for his son. 

Asia Lags Behind

Around 90 percent of the world's charitable foundations are located in the top 25 highest-income countries, according to research published last year by Harvard University. Europe leads that pack with 154,271 charitable foundations, North America comes second with 91,850 in the U.S. and Canada combined.

Asia lags behind with 13,170, with Hong Kong making a disproportionately high contribution up to that number. Foundations in the study also showed a growing focus on impact evaluation, often using external advisors like private banks not just for their investment strategies but also to evaluate their impact. 

Education is Priority 

Like the Azim Premji Foundation, most charities in the study said education was a top priority. Premji's foundation works directly in education and supports over 150 other non-profits serving underprivileged and marginalized Indians through financial grants. The foundation set up the Azim Premji University to develop professionals in education and related human development domains. It also offers degree and education programs, and conducts research. 

The team working in education will scale from the current 1,600 people and grant-making activities will triple. The Bengaluru-based university will expand to 5,000 students with over 400 faculty members. The foundation intends to set up another university in northern India.