In India, generosity is woven into daily life. From anna daan, that is giving food to needy, and the great community kitchens of the gurudwaras, the acts of everyday kindness bring people together, said RI President Francesco Arezzo at the PreLead event, held ahead of the Rotary India Leadership Conclave in Chennai.
Addressing a galaxy of Indian Rotary leaders, council of governors from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal zones, AKS and Endowment Fund donors, Arezzo said giving to TRF is not ‘abstract charity’ for “you are connecting to a network of 1.4 million Rotarians in 46,000 clubs across the world, turning generosity into sustainable, high-impact projects that create lasting change.” There are many reasons to give — moral duty, religious teaching or social responsibility — “but perhaps the most beautiful reason is the simplest: giving feels good.” Being an AKS member is a badge of honour, a shining testament to the “boundless compassion and unwavering commitment of Rotarians to serve humanity.”
When Rotarians give not just their resources, but also their time, attention and effort, we transform from benefactor to partner.
— Francesco Arezzo, RI President
In the last Rotary year (2024–25), India raised over $38.2 million for the Foundation, and “this year, the Indian clubs have committed to surpass their fundraising goals,” Arezzo noted. The India region had a record-breaking 47 AKS members last year, and for the first time, 13 RI districts have crossed $1 million in TRF-giving. RID 3141 as the global leader with the largest number of AKS members is “a beacon of hope, illuminating the path forward for us all.” India has the third highest count in AKS membership.
Citing modern research, Arezzo pointed out that helping others makes one happier, “something that the Indian sages had said centuries earlier. Generosity lifts our spirits, connects us to others, and reminds us of what really matters.”
Benefactor to partner
When Rotarians give not just their resources, but also their “time, attention and effort, we transform from benefactor to partner. Often the gift we receive is greater than the one we give,” he said.
This is true of Rotarians who not only fund scholarships, but also mentor their students, helping them get jobs; the polio vaccination drives when donors roll up their sleeves to give those precious drops of vaccine, knowing they are part of history, said the RI President.
With the Programs of Scale helping Indian farmers reap a better harvest, “a farmer who sowed once a year, now does two harvests; a mother who spent hours walking to fetch water, now attends classes or visits the market; a village that used to wait for rain now learns to capture and share water.” For sages, true bliss (ananda in Sanskrit) is “when we forget ourselves in the act of love, compassion and service.” This is the joy of giving which grows the more we share it, he said. “In Rotary giving is not just an obligation, it is a celebration.”
The Lead Conclave was designed as a “mini RI convention for the 1.75 lakh Rotarians in India, some of whom would not have attended the Rotary convention. Our aim is to bring all Rotarians from across the country under one platform as a single family,” said RI director M Muruganandam. While India is no 2 in membership and TRF-giving, “we have set a target of $50 million for the current year, apart from adding 100 new AKS members and 100 Endowment donors.”
Having joined Rotary as a 16-year-old Rotaractor, “I continue to enjoy my 36 years of journey in selfless service,” he said.
Recalling the past 18 months since their nomination, RI director K P Nagesh said after lengthy deliberations, “Muruganandam and I planned 10 programmes for goal-setting, but over time, it has now widened to 16.” Listing a few, he said the 1:2:3 formula and Red-Amber-Green strategy will do miracles for Rotary in India. “We aim to reach 200,000 members in India by this year-end. To tap CSR grants, Rotary- CSR National Awards will be given in the four zones, followed by the final event at the Rotary Institute in Delhi.”
The idea behind PreLead was to motivate the past district governors to guide the DGs and support their action, said Nagesh. “We urged them to help start new Rotaract and Interact clubs. The results are already showing as 1,000 Interact clubs were formed in less than a month, and 400 Rotaract clubs are being chartered in our zones.”
If Rotarians are the heart of Rotary, TRF is its backbone and “a window to the outside world in which we are touching and changing lives,” said trustee Bharat Pandya. The University of Notre Dame, US, through its Science of Generosity project found “that anything given freely and in abundance including our time, talent and money will benefit humanity in a great manner.” Like honeycombs, Rotarians will keep giving again and again to do good in the world, he noted.
TRF also works for a peaceful world through its Peace Scholars, and the Symbiosis University, Pune, will get the next Rotary Peace Centre by Jan-Feb 2026, after which the batches will start, he said. “TRF is an investment for our children and theirs, just like we enjoy the fruits of trees planted by our forefathers.”
RI director Christine Buering from Germany thanked the AKS donors “for trusting our Foundation that is changing lives across the world.”
Arezzo honoured 29 new AKS members and 31 new Endowment Fund donors at the PreLead which was attended by 475 delegates from India zones. While the two-day Lead Conclave had a registration of over 10,000 Rotarians and 2,850 Rotaractors from RIDs 3233 and 3234 of the Chennai region. PDG J Sridhar (RID 3234) was the event chair and PDG Rajasekhar Srinivasan (RID 3201), its secretary.