Western news media, Western academia, private foundations, ratings agencies and index producers, the UN human-rights system and allied networks.
Principal evidence: Mean of three contests: how India is judged abroad (Hindutva 11%; indices, UN, foreign media, M12/M6), whose experts are cited (11%, M7) and where Western philanthropic money goes (₹1 cr Hindutva-coded vs ₹15,413 cr subversive-coded, 2015-26, M1).
37.2Significance
How India is assessed abroad; investor and diplomatic sentiment; and the funding and framing available to domestic actors who oppose Hindutva-aligned positions.
37.3Indicators and weights
Table 37.1 lists the 4 indicators of the arena, the weight of each within the arena, and each indicator’s reading (the Hindutva-aligned share, from 0 to 100).
Western philanthropy (funder-level expected value)2
0.25
3.2
Whose experts are cited
0.25
7.2
Gatekeeping: share of the foreign-money channel the State has shut3
0.20
50.2
Arena reading
1.00
18.1
37.4Reading
The arena reads 18.1, 31.9 points below parity, and is classified as opposed majority (a reading below 45). With a weight of 4.23 of a total 107.7, it contributes 0.71 points to the composite reading of 45.7.
The indicators diverge: the highest reading is for gatekeeping: share of the foreign-money channel the State has shut (50.2), the lowest for Western philanthropy (funder-level expected value) (3.2).
Figure 37.1. Readings of arena 8.1 by indicator
050100
Narrative: foreign media, index sourcing, UN18.3
Western philanthropy (funder-level expected value)3.2
Whose experts are cited7.2
Gatekeeping: share of the foreign-money channel the State has shut50.2
Arena reading18.1
Hindutva-alignedOpposed
Each bar divides the indicator between Hindutva-aligned (left) and opposed (right) holdings. The vertical rule marks parity.
37.5Measures and exhibits
The exhibits below are the Atlas’s own views of the data behind each measure: shares by side, the largest units, breakdowns by source, recipient and country, money-flow diagrams and time series. Full row-level ledgers are in the data file (Appendix D).
Measure 1. Narrative: foreign media, index sourcing, UN
Reading 18.3%
g_left_units.csv
Figure 37.2. How the index makers score India (all on a 0-100 scale)Freedom House (0-100), V-Dem liberal democracy (0-1, ×100), EIU Democracy Index (0-10, ×10). Their sources are 92% Opposed-camp (Atlas M12).
Freedom HouseV-Dem ×100EIU ×10
Data table
Freedom House
V-Dem ×100
EIU ×10
2010
76
53.2
72.8
2011
76
53.2
73
2012
77
52.5
75.2
2013
76
52.2
76.9
2014
77
48.8
79.2
2015
78
41.7
77.4
2016
77
40.6
78.1
2017
77
37.1
72.3
2018
77
36.3
72.3
2019
75
32.4
69
2020
71
29.2
66.1
2021
67
30.7
69.1
2022
66
29.1
70.4
2023
66
27.3
71.8
2024
66
28.1
72.9
2025
63
26
69.6
2026
62
Figure 37.3. Hindutva-aligned vs opposed, counted rows (citations (of 545))
Left: where the money comes from · Middle: the camp it strengthens · Right: where it goes
Figure 37.34. The biggest sources, by the camp their money strengthens (₹ crore)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation19,726
IKEA Foundation3,292
Wellcome Trust2,876
Children's Investment Fund Foundation2,761
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation1,727
MacArthur Foundation1,575
Ford Foundation1,095
CARE USA766
Oak Foundation654
Open Philanthropy / Good Ventures549
American India Foundation503
Akshaya Patra USA502
Hindutva-alignedOpposedTransactionalNeutral / not counted
Data table
Hindutva-aligned
Opposed
Transactional
Neutral / not counted
Total
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
55.3
9,736
0
9,935
19,726
IKEA Foundation
0
3,266
0
25.2
3,292
Wellcome Trust
0
1,852
0
1,024
2,876
Children's Investment Fund Foundation
0
2,590
0
171
2,761
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
0
1,207
0
520
1,727
MacArthur Foundation
15.0
1,319
0
241
1,575
Ford Foundation
0.68
908
0
186
1,095
CARE USA
0
766
0
0
766
Oak Foundation
0
638
0
15.8
654
Open Philanthropy / Good Ventures
0
463
0
86.1
549
American India Foundation
0
0
0
503
503
Akshaya Patra USA
502
0
0
0
502
Figure 37.35. The biggest recipients (₹ crore)
BIOLOGICAL E LIMITED1,017
India Alliance (DBT Wellcome Trust India Allianc841
Partner organisations in South Asia/India of CAR766
CARE721
University of Manitoba628
Piramal Swasthya564
International Institute of Information Technolog516
Partner organisations in South Asia/India of Ame503
Partner organisations in South Asia/India of Aks502
Powering Health476
Global Alliance for Viksit Bharat Foundation456
total expenditure of India-only charity (proxy; 397
Hindutva-alignedOpposedTransactionalNeutral / not counted
Data table
Hindutva-aligned
Opposed
Transactional
Neutral / not counted
Total
BIOLOGICAL E LIMITED
0
0
0
1,017
1,017
India Alliance (DBT Wellcome Trust India Allianc
0
0
0
841
841
Partner organisations in South Asia/India of CAR
0
766
0
0
766
CARE
0
721
0
0
721
University of Manitoba
0
628
0
0
628
Piramal Swasthya
0
0
0
564
564
International Institute of Information Technolog
0
0
0
516
516
Partner organisations in South Asia/India of Ame
0
0
0
503
503
Partner organisations in South Asia/India of Aks
502
0
0
0
502
Powering Health
0
476
0
0
476
Global Alliance for Viksit Bharat Foundation
0
456
0
0
456
total expenditure of India-only charity (proxy;
6.67
385
0
5.81
397
Figure 37.36. By country of origin (₹ crore)
US31,630
GB6,291
NL3,493
CH1,565
CA1,221
DK190
SE138
ES46.3
Not stated42.6
Hindutva-alignedOpposedTransactionalNeutral / not counted
Data table
Hindutva-aligned
Opposed
Transactional
Neutral / not counted
Total
US
954
18,580
0
12,096
31,630
GB
11.0
5,065
0
1,215
6,291
NL
0
3,436
0
57.4
3,493
CH
0
1,539
0
25.9
1,565
CA
8.99
1,189
0
23.0
1,221
DK
0
190
0
0
190
SE
0
138
0
0
138
ES
0
46.3
0
0
46.3
Not stated
0
40.1
0
2.44
42.6
Measure 3. Whose experts are cited
Reading 7.2%
Same reading as 4.3 Whose Experts the State Believes.
Measure 4. Gatekeeping: share of the foreign-money channel the State has shut
Reading 50.2%
Active FCRA registrations 29,022 (2015) → 14,466 (Sep 2026, MHA)
Figure 37.37. The 8 biggest of 8 (₹ crore)
LL: Western foundations: FCRA foreign contribution received, all associations22,974
LL: Western foundations: Gates Foundation cumulative to India (M1 flow rows)17,137
LL: Western foundations: MacArthur Foundation cumulative to India1,495
LL: Western foundations: Ford Foundation cumulative to India (M1 flow rows)1,095
LL: Western foundations: Hewlett Foundation cumulative to India419
LL: Western foundations: Omidyar Network cumulative to India364
LL: Western academia (South Asia centres): US Title VI South Asia NRC money (terminated 10 Sep 2025)36.7
LL: Western foundations: Open Society Foundations cumulative to India12.7
Data table
₹ crore
Side
LL: Western foundations: FCRA foreign contribution received, all associations
22,974
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Gates Foundation cumulative to India (M1 flow rows)
17,137
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: MacArthur Foundation cumulative to India
1,495
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Ford Foundation cumulative to India (M1 flow rows)
1,095
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Hewlett Foundation cumulative to India
419
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Omidyar Network cumulative to India
364
Opposed
LL: Western academia (South Asia centres): US Title VI South Asia NRC money (terminated 10 Sep 2025)
36.7
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Open Society Foundations cumulative to India
12.7
Opposed
Figure 37.38. The 2 biggest of 2 (associations)
LL: Western foundations: Active FCRA registrations (comparison)29,022
LL: Western foundations: Active FCRA registrations14,457
Data table
associations
Side
LL: Western foundations: Active FCRA registrations (comparison)
29,022
Hindutva-aligned
LL: Western foundations: Active FCRA registrations
14,457
Hindutva-aligned
Figure 37.39. The 10 biggest of 10 (USD million)
LL: Western foundations: All ~38 reporting foundations, India-allocated disbursements597
LL: Western foundations: Gates Foundation India disbursements381
LL: ESG investors and short sellers: OFAC settlement, Adani Enterprises (Iran sanctions)275
LL: ESG investors and short sellers: US v. Adani: alleged bribes to Indian officials ('more than')250
LL: Western foundations: Gates commitments to India-located grantees240
LL: Western academia (South Asia centres): Mittal family gift, Harvard Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute25
LL: Western foundations: MacArthur Foundation India disbursements18
LL: ESG investors and short sellers: SEC civil penalties, Gautam Adani 6m + Sagar Adani 12m, no admission18
LL: Western foundations: Ford Foundation India disbursements16
LL: Western foundations: Hewlett Foundation India disbursements7
Data table
USD million
Side
LL: Western foundations: All ~38 reporting foundations, India-allocated disbursements
597
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Gates Foundation India disbursements
381
Opposed
LL: ESG investors and short sellers: OFAC settlement, Adani Enterprises (Iran sanctions)
275
Opposed
LL: ESG investors and short sellers: US v. Adani: alleged bribes to Indian officials ('more than')
250
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Gates commitments to India-located grantees
240
Opposed
LL: Western academia (South Asia centres): Mittal family gift, Harvard Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute
25
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: MacArthur Foundation India disbursements
18
Opposed
LL: ESG investors and short sellers: SEC civil penalties, Gautam Adani 6m + Sagar Adani 12m, no admission
18
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Ford Foundation India disbursements
16
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Hewlett Foundation India disbursements
7
Opposed
Figure 37.40. Each counted row (percent (avg CY2017-24))Rates and shares are not added up: each row is its own reading.
LL: Western foundations: Ford share of India grants coded LL-power (civil society, rights, media, legal)48
LL: Western foundations: Gates share of India grants coded LL-power8
0100%
Data table
percent (avg CY2017-24)
Side
LL: Western foundations: Ford share of India grants coded LL-power (civil society, rights, media, legal)
48
Opposed
LL: Western foundations: Gates share of India grants coded LL-power
8
Opposed
Figure 37.41. The 3 biggest of 3 (/100)
LL: Index producers: Freedom House FIW total, baseline77
LL: Index producers: Freedom House Freedom in the World total (Partly Free since 2021 ed.)62
LL: Index producers: Freedom on the Net (Partly Free)50
Data table
/100
Side
LL: Index producers: Freedom House FIW total, baseline
77
Opposed
LL: Index producers: Freedom House Freedom in the World total (Partly Free since 2021 ed.)
62
Opposed
LL: Index producers: Freedom on the Net (Partly Free)
50
Opposed
Figure 37.42. Each counted row (percent)Rates and shares are not added up: each row is its own reading.
LL: Index producers: Freedom House revenue from US government grants85
LL: Index producers: GHI share of India score from child indicators83
LL: Index producers: RSF operating income from public grants62
LL: UN rights machinery: India reply rate to SP letters20.6
0100%
Data table
percent
Side
LL: Index producers: Freedom House revenue from US government grants
85
Opposed
LL: Index producers: GHI share of India score from child indicators
83
Opposed
LL: Index producers: RSF operating income from public grants
62
Opposed
LL: UN rights machinery: India reply rate to SP letters
20.6
Opposed
Measure 5. Context: shown for reference, not part of the reading
Figure 37.43. Planning threat of each global player (reach × hostility, out of 100)Each player’s weight out of 5 = threat ÷ 20, unless set by hand.
Western media, academia, philanthropy and rights bodies84.6
USA72
China72
Big Tech53.1
Global Islam47.1
India Abroad: Diaspora & Soft Power40
Others16.5
Global Christianity9
Data table
Value
Side
Western media, academia, philanthropy and rights bodies
84.6
Opposed
USA
72
Other
China
72
Other
Big Tech
53.1
Other
Global Islam
47.1
Other
India Abroad: Diaspora & Soft Power
40
Other
Others
16.5
Other
Global Christianity
9
Other
37.6Evidence base
The arena rests on 705 coded units, 3,017 money flows and 266 time-series points. Of the units and flows, 44 are coded Hindutva-aligned, 3,066 opposed and 612 neutral, mixed or transactional. By source grade: 3,611 grade A, 63 grade B, 37 grade C, 9 grade D, 2 grade E.
The full set of rows for this arena, each with its source, is in the Atlas data file (Appendix D).