Billionaire industrialist and Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal on Wednesday renewed his pledge to donate 75% of his vast wealth to charitable causes, characterising the decision as the fulfilment of a vision shared with his son, Agnivesh Agarwal, who died earlier this week.

Agnivesh Agarwal, 49, passed away at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York following a sudden cardiac arrest. He had been hospitalised to recover from injuries sustained in a recent skiing accident. The younger Agarwal, a former chairman of Hindustan Zinc and a director at Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), was a prominent figure within the metals and mining giant.

In a poignant statement released on social media, the elder Agarwal described the tragedy as "the darkest day" of his life.

“No words can describe the pain of a parent who must bid goodbye to his child,” Agarwal wrote. “A son is not meant to leave before his father. This loss has shattered us in ways we are still trying to comprehend.”

The Vedanta chairman, often called India’s "Metal King," noted that while the family believed the worst of the skiing injuries were behind them, “fate had other plans.” He revealed that the commitment to donate the majority of his earnings was a core principle shared with Agnivesh, who was a staunch advocate for a "self-reliant India." While Agarwal first announced this intent in 2014 and joined The Giving Pledge in 2021, he said his son’s death had become the catalyst for formalising the roadmap.

The philanthropic efforts, channelled through the Vedanta Foundation and the Anil Agarwal Foundation, will prioritise four sectors:

  • Nutrition: Eradicating child hunger across India.
  • Education: Establishing non-profit, world-class educational institutions.
  • Healthcare: Strengthening the Nand Ghar network of modern anganwadis (childcare centres).
  • Livelihood: Creating vocational and skill-training programs for Indian youth.

“I had promised Agni that more than 75% of what we earn would be given back to society,” Agarwal stated. “Today, I renew that promise and resolve to live an even simpler life.”

Born in Patna in 1976 and educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, Agnivesh Agarwal was remembered by his father as a "sportsman, a musician, and a leader" who remained "simple, warm, and deeply human" throughout his corporate career. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led national tributes, calling the news "extremely shocking and sad," and remarked that the father's emotional tribute reflected the profound depth of a parent's grief.

With Agarwal's net worth estimated in the billions, the finalised pledge will be one of the largest private philanthropic transfers in Indian history, placing his contribution alongside those of industrial titans like Jamsetji Tata and Azim Premji.