Mangaluru’s Shabana Faizal among India’s Top 10 Women Philanthropists on EdelGive Hurun List
Mangaluru: Shabana Faizal, originally from Mangaluru, has been recognised among India’s top philanthropists, securing a place as the youngest woman in the top 10 of the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025. At 53, she has donated Rs 40 crore through the Faizal & Shabana Foundation, earning a spot among the country’s most impactful changemakers.
Her inclusion places her alongside prominent women philanthropists such as Rohini Nilekani, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Bina Shah, underscoring her growing influence in India’s social development landscape.
Born and raised in Mangaluru, Shabana is the only daughter of Late B. Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen, a respected businessman and socio-religious leader who founded the BA Group of Businesses in Thumbay, near Mangaluru. She completed her degree in psychology from St. Agnes College and later pursued a diploma in fashion design and merchandising from the National Institute of Fashion Design, Dubai.
Her early professional journey began in industries traditionally dominated by men, including work in steel mills and data entry, experiences that shaped her adaptability and resilience.
According to the Meitra Hospital website, where Shabana serves as a Director, her entrepreneurial career took off in 1995 when she began retailing specialty and luxury products. She later joined her husband, Faizal E. Kottikollon, in managing Emirates Techno Casting (ETC), a major engineering and manufacturing enterprise in the UAE. In her role, she managed human resources and administrative operations, contributing significantly to the company’s success.
Today, she is the Vice Chairperson of KEF Holdings, a Singapore-based family enterprise with investments across sectors like infrastructure, education, agriculture, metals, and finance. The group is known for leveraging off-site construction technologies and sustainability-driven innovations that have made a global impact.
In 2007, Shabana and her husband co-founded the Faizal & Shabana Foundation with the motto “Giving to Create Impact.” The foundation focuses on education, youth development, healthcare, community outreach, regenerative development, humanitarian aid, and the arts, aiming to create sustainable social change through long-term initiatives.
Shabana and her husband Faizal E. Kottikollon
Her philanthropic work reflects a deep commitment to giving back to society, an extension of the values she imbibed from her upbringing in Mangaluru.
The EdelGive Foundation, in collaboration with the Hurun Research Institute, released the 12th edition of the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List this year. The report highlights India’s most generous individuals and families, noting that 191 philanthropists together contributed Rs 10,380 crore over the past three years — an 85% rise in donations compared to earlier years.
Education continues to receive the highest support, with Rs 4,166 crore donated by 107 contributors. The list also revealed that the top 25 philanthropists donated Rs 50,000 crore in just five years, averaging Rs 46 crore per day. Mumbai accounted for the largest share of donations at 28%, followed by New Delhi and Bengaluru.
A mother of four— Sophiya, Sarah, Zacharia, and Czarina — Shabana continues to balance family life with business leadership and social service. Her journey from a small-town upbringing to global entrepreneurship and impactful philanthropy showcases how determination, empathy, and a sense of purpose can redefine success.
Shabana Faizal’s recognition on the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025 stands as a proud moment for Mangaluru and Karnataka, celebrating a woman whose vision continues to inspire both corporate and social transformation.
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
