Meet Susmita Bagchi, Odia novel writer who donated Rs 213 crore, her husband co-founded Rs 10,000 crore firm

Shiv Nadar, Mukesh Ambani, and other well-known figures were included in the recently published EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022. Philanthropist  Nadar reasserted his position as "India's Most Generous" with a yearly charity of Rs 1,161 crore.

Susmita and Subroto Bagchi of Mindtree, however, took fifth place with an annual donation of Rs. 213 crore. According to the India Philanthropy Report 2022 by Bain & Company and Dasra, less than 1% of the country's billionaires and ultra donate their capital to charitable efforts.

Who is Susmita Bagchi?

Susmita is a well-known Odia author and the creator of the monthly women's publication Sucharita. Susmita's work was first showcased in the magazine as well. Susmita entered the field of literature in the same way her mother had. Susmita Bagchi is a talented writer in addition to her role as co-founder of Mindtree and a social reformer. She has written a travelogue, several list of short fiction, and five novels. She writes in English and Odia.

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Susmita Bagchi’s work

In 1990, her first set of short stories, Akasha Jeunthi Katha, was released. In 2006, her Odia novel "Deba Shishu" was released. Children of a Better God, Penguin's English translation of the book, was released in 2010. She believes that more people ought to read her first English-language book. Mental health is a theme in the book.

She claims that anyone or any family dealing with the problem of psychological health will recognise and identify with the main character of her debut English novel, a psychiatrist. Her readers favoured her because of the accessibility and relatability of her writing.

Awards received by Susmita Bagchi

In 1993, she won the State Sahitya Akademi Award for her collection of short stories, "Akasha Jeunthi Katha." In addition to that, she has won numerous other renowned honours, including the Utkal Samman, the Prajatantra Award, and the Gangadhar Rath Foundation Award, among many more.

Susmita and Subroto Bagchi, Radha and N S Parthasarathy, and other Mindtree co-founders and philanthropists donated a total of Rs 213 crore to the progress of the healthcare profession in 2022.

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