At 16 years old, a girl from Mumbai boarded a bus to Byculla every Saturday morning to feed and play with children at Asha Dan — working alongside Mother Teresa. That teenager grew up to build a global charity network spanning five continents. Her name is Meera Gandhi.
Meera Gandhi is a humanitarian, author, and businesswoman best known as the founder and CEO of The Giving Back Foundation. She’s worked with some of the world’s most prominent figures — from Marc Anthony to Cherie Blair — and her Foundation has supported over 75 charities worldwide. This article covers everything: her early life, education, career, family, and what she’s doing in 2026.
Who Is Meera Gandhi?
Meera Gandhi is a humanitarian, philanthropist, social activist, mother, businesswoman, and mental wellness advocate who divides her time between New York City, London, Mumbai, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
She isn’t a celebrity in the traditional sense. You won’t find her on a red carpet for a film. What you will find is her name on grant letters sent to schools in Delhi, scholarship programs for South Asian students in New York, and charity galas co-chaired with global leaders.
As founder and CEO of The Giving Back Foundation, she has dedicated herself to making a difference through her commitment to enhancing the lives of others.
Her story starts in India — but it didn’t stay there.
Meera Gandhi Early Life and Education
Meera Teresa Gandhi is the daughter of an Irish mother, Ellen Mary, and an Indian father, Admiral Perbodh Nath Agarwal. Though she spent part of her later youth in England and Ireland, she grew up in India, where her early years were spent following her father around the country as he progressed in his naval career.
That cross-cultural upbringing shaped her. As she has said in interviews, her mixed-heritage family helped her develop empathy and understand different perspectives.
The defining moment came early. At the age of 16, she met Mother Teresa and worked with her helping children at Asha Dan in Mumbai. She started with a two-week volunteer project and kept going back every Saturday, taking the bus to Byculla to feed and spend time with the children there. That experience didn’t leave her.
Her academic path was just as deliberate. Gandhi attended The Cathedral and John Connon Schools in Mumbai and Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Delhi.
She didn’t stop there. Gandhi received an MBA from Boston University School of Management. In 2007, she completed the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School. She later joined the Harvard University South Asia Board, which was subsequently renamed The Laxmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard University.
Meera Gandhi Age and Personal Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Meera Teresa Gandhi |
| Date of Birth | January 28, 1963 |
| Age (2026) | 63 years old |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Current Base | New York City (primary) |
| Also Based In | London, Mumbai, Dubai, Hong Kong |
Gandhi is currently single and lives in New York City, where she owns the historic townhouse of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She also owns properties in Palm Beach, Florida, and Hyde Park, New York.
Meera Gandhi Career Journey
Meera’s professional life has had a few different chapters — and none of them are boring.
She has worked as a banker, a fashion buyer at Macy’s, and a zardozi entrepreneur — zardozi being the traditional gold embroidery craft from South Asia. Each role gave her a different view of commerce, culture, and people.
Her media career came later. She worked with B4U Television Network to create The Meera Gandhi Show, which aired internationally and tackled one discussion centered around health and wellness in each episode. Soon after, Meera created her signature show 3 Tips in partnership with Times Network, where she imparted pragmatic, easy-to-follow advice on a number of subjects.
In 2010, she produced and directed a musical CD titled Giving Back, featuring a group of international artists. She followed that up with a coffee table book and a documentary film, both under the same name. The book, published in 2011, featured Marc Anthony’s Maestro Cares and the Loomba Foundation for widows among its highlighted charities.
In 2016, Gandhi introduced her world-class candle, “The Giving Candle”, and also launched The Giving Fragrance — both available through GivingBackFragrance.com. A portion of proceeds from these products goes toward supporting the Foundation’s charitable work.
Meera Gandhi Net Worth 2026
No verified public financial records confirm Meera Gandhi’s exact net worth. She’s not a tech billionaire or a film star with Forbes coverage. Her wealth appears to come from a combination of her business ventures, earlier corporate career, real estate holdings, and her philanthropic brand.
Various online estimates place her net worth somewhere between $1 million and $5 million, but these figures aren’t backed by official documentation. Her ownership of Eleanor Roosevelt’s historic New York townhouse alone suggests a level of financial stability well above average.
What’s clear is that her income from business activities feeds directly back into The Giving Back Foundation, which is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. For Meera, the point of making money seems to be giving it away strategically.
Who Is Meera Gandhi’s Husband?
Meera Gandhi keeps her personal relationships private, and that’s a choice worth respecting. What is known is that she met the man she would later marry while studying at Boston University School of Management, and they went on to have three children together.
She has not publicly named her former husband or shared details about her marriage in most interviews. Based on available information, she appears to currently be single.
Anyone claiming to know the identity of her husband without a verified source is speculating.
Does Meera Gandhi Have Children?
Yes. She has three grown children: two daughters and one son. Their names, based on publicly available sources, are Kanika Gandhi, Kiran Gandhi, and Kabir Gandhi.
She has described herself consistently as a mother first. On her LinkedIn profile, she lists “mother” among her core identities alongside humanitarian and businesswoman. Her children are adults, and their lives are kept largely out of the public eye.
The Giving Back Foundation & Charity Work
This is where Meera Gandhi’s life story really picks up momentum.
The Giving Back Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to uplift and support young women and children, addressing illness, poverty, and suffering. Its beneficiaries are carefully selected existing charities around the world, with special emphasis on the education of young women and children in need.
She launched it in 2010, and it now operates across five continents.
What the Foundation Supports
The Foundation’s charitable work includes providing annual awards and honorariums to teenage students at the Eleanor Roosevelt Leadership Center, annual grants to South Asian college students for their studies at Baruch College in New York City, and a five-year commitment to the Woodstock Film Festival — with annual honorariums and awards to filmmakers whose work drives social change.
Other charities the Foundation supports include the Happy Home and School for the Blind in Mumbai, the Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice & Human Rights, the Cambodian Landmine Relief Fund, and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
In 2012, the Foundation funded a high-powered telescope installed on the roof of Harrow School in London.
The Foundation has also worked with St. Michael’s School for Girls in Delhi, where Meera has been directly involved in educational programs for students.
The Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award
Gandhi founded the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award, presented each year at the Woodstock Film Festival to the director, producer, or actor who best delivers a message of social change and shows a strong commitment to philanthropy.
In 2011, the first award went to Mark Ruffalo. Subsequent winners included actor and director Tim Blake Nelson in 2012 and acclaimed filmmaker and activist Mira Nair in 2013.
Meera Gandhi Lifestyle Today
In 2026, Meera Gandhi remains actively involved in her Foundation’s daily operations. She monitors grassroots projects on the ground, attends events across several cities, and speaks on global platforms about philanthropy, wellness, and female leadership.
Her passion for her work keeps her directly involved in the Foundation’s day-to-day operations, monitoring on-site grassroots projects, and making decisions on grant disbursements.
She practices yoga and meditation, values mindfulness as part of her approach to giving, and has spoken about mental wellness being as central to the Foundation’s work as financial aid.
She co-chairs multiple major charity benefits in New York each year, and her social circle consistently includes global business leaders, diplomats, artists, and policy figures.
Awards and Achievements
Over the years, Meera Gandhi and The Giving Back Foundation have been recognized by a range of organizations:
- Humanitarian of the Year Award — Marc Anthony’s Maestro Cares Foundation Gala (February 2016)
- Mayor of New York Humanitarian Award and Citation
- Society NY Achievers Award
- QIMPRO Platinum Award for Business
- Harvard University South Asia Board membership
The Mayor of New York’s Humanitarian Award and citation, Marc Anthony’s Humanitarian Award, and the Society NY Achievers Award are among those she has described as particularly meaningful to her.
FAQ
Who is Meera Gandhi? Meera Gandhi is an Indian-born humanitarian and the founder and CEO of The Giving Back Foundation. She’s also a businesswoman, author, and mental wellness advocate who works across New York, London, Mumbai, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
What is Meera Gandhi’s net worth? No verified figure exists in public records. Various online sources estimate her net worth somewhere between $1 million and $5 million, based on her business ventures, media work, and real estate holdings — but none of these numbers are officially confirmed.
Who is Meera Gandhi’s husband? Meera Gandhi has not publicly named her husband. Based on published interviews, she met her future husband while studying at Boston University and has three children with him. She currently appears to be single, based on available sources.
Is Meera Gandhi married? She was married previously but is currently reported to be single, based on multiple published profiles. She has kept the details of her personal relationships private.
What is Meera Gandhi famous for? She is best known for founding The Giving Back Foundation in 2010, a global charity that supports over 75 organizations across five continents, with a focus on education, women’s empowerment, and children’s welfare.
This article was written based on verified published interviews, official foundation records, and credible media coverage. Net worth figures are estimated based on available public information and should not be treated as confirmed financial data.
Author Bio: Sarah Mitchell covers celebrity profiles, humanitarian stories, and public figures with years of research-based writing experience.
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