The Shiv Nadar Foundation was established in 1994 by Shiv Nadar, Founder, HCL - a US$ 8.6 billion leading global enterprise. The Foundation is committed to the creation of a more equitable, merit-based society by empowering individuals through transformational education to bridge the socio-economic divide. To that purpose the Foundation has established institutions and programs in the underdeveloped disciplinary areas in India related to rural and urban education and art.

The Shiv Nadar Foundation pursues philosophy of 'Creative Philanthropy'. It is a powerful model which envisages creation of institutions that go beyond the lifetime of its founders and continue to impact future generations for many centuries to come. It is an approach that allows sustained institutionalized philanthropy for long-term, high impact, socio-economic transformation.