About Us

Born during the tumultuous period leading to lndia’s independence, Bashiruddin Babukhan has left a unique imprint of charity, excellence and entrepreneurship on Southern lndia. ln a life spanning 73 years, the impact of his work in education, philanthropy, architecture, business, and politics continues to resonate in every facet of life ln the city of Hyderabad, State of Telangana, the then AP.

Bashiruddin was a scion of the Babukhan family, who, in pre-independence India, were among the leaders in industrial and infrastructure development across the subcontinent. Firms owned by the family had built dams, palaces, colleges and government institutions, in addition to helming ventures in agriculture, food processing and real estate.

However, life hadn’t always been easy for Bashir.  He understood suffering and failure intimately. ln Class 2, aged _8_ Bashir failed a class and was sent to St. Joseph’s school in Bangalore, a residential school that meant he was to live away from family. At that tender age, he grew an intimacy with loneliness that changed him and made him wise beyond his years. He gained a worldview that embraced empathy and the values of persistence and discipline, and new worlds opened up to him in the arts and literature. He gained an appreciation for the theatre and was a stellar actor who could hold his own. Bashir often reflected on the impact that this education had had on him.  lt appears that it affected his ability to see from different perspectives and value what was truly human;

ln his own words,

“St. Joseph’s had made a ‘man’ out of a boy, most surely, with its extracurricular activities, both outdoors and indoors, which had made me very versatile, in acting and reciting from Shakespeare’s plays, sports, games and much else.”

Coupled with his education, Bashir gained a modern outlook that simultaneously embraced tradition. He understood the importance of business conducted with integrity and foresight in leading a nation towards development.

Loss would revisit him throughout his life and fortify his vision of what was important and his steely determinaton in achieving goals. As a young man, Bashir worked in lndia and the Middle East before launching his own ventures in the 1970s. Post-independence, lndia had nationalised several businesses and industries, which had affected the fortunes of the Babukhan family. Bashir spent the next few decades rebuilding the family’s footprint in the fields of business with particular success in the realms of education, real estate and infrastructure development. Under his leadership, Bashir’s firms built modern schools counted among the best in the country, high rises that changed the skyline of his city of Hyderabad, and industries that played key roles in lndia’s self-sufficiency.

However, his key contributions lay in the field of charity and advocacy for underserved minorities. A thread that wove through all of his many business activities, and indeed, his very life, was the core belief in the Islamic Pillar of Zakat.  The Muslim community empowers society through the institution of Zakat – which resolves that every capable person donate 2.5% of their wealth to charity. Bashir realised that in order for his contributions to make a lasting impact he would have to embark on a different, and more dynamic journey. ln 1985, he joined politics and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh from the constituency of Bodhan.  Additionally, in 1991, Bashir founded the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust (HZCT) along with tris brother Ghiasuddin Babukhan.

Throughout his life, Bashir had been aware that the Muslim community did not experience the economic growth one would expect from a populace of that size in India.   He discovered that the Muslim community was struggling to meet positive educational outcomes. Enrolment rates in schools was poor for the Muslim community and dropout rates were comparatively high. He resolved that as an elected representative he would work tirelessly to uplift those in need.   Additionally, he co-founded the Foundation for Economic and Educational Development (FEED) under the auspice of the HZCT to empower marginalized, minority groups to attain positive educational goals and provide financial assistance for economic growth.

During his lifetime, FEED went on to establish a presence across 20,000 villages in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Southern India.   Over 200,000 students who had shown high educational potential were identified and awarded full or partial scholarships to fund their education. FEED also established 109 of its own schools to provide free or highly subsidised education to students in economically neglected areas.  Forty of these schools were built in the decade after Bashir’s passing.

Bashir was also keenly aware of how economically disempowered women were. Under his leadership, the HZCT undertook the building of skill development centers trained women in marketable skills that empowered many to gain additional income or employment.   For the thousands of women who enrolled at the centers, these programs meant making leaps and bounds forward in the economy through improved employability and increased independence.

While his foundations grew in size and impact, Bashir knew representation and legislation were other leavers to drive change.  Bashir worked tirelessly to promote the cause of the unheard. He worked keenly to develop the economic prospects of his state and constituency.  As a businessperson, he had a keen insight on how government could facilitate economic development and he increased the involvement of industry stalwarts in government policy making.  For his efforts, he was named Minister of Industrial Development and served a full term in this capacity. He also held portfolios, as Minister of Education, and Minister of Tourism.

His greatest work lay in improving the representation of minorities in government. Bashir worked pointedly and tirelessly towards increasing minority involvement at all levels of government. His efforts were rewarded when the Government he served under created the first Department of Minority Welfare in the country of lndia. Bashir deeply believed that an equitable society could be established only by social change and economic upliftment of minority communities and was instrumental in passing legislation and creating programs to this end. This example has been taken up by multiple states in India and now, Muslim, Jain, Sikh, Christian and Zoroastrian religious minorities across India have a dedicated government function working towards their upliftment. The impact of his work grew exponentially with the creation of Central Ministry of Minority Affairs, in 2006.

Bashir was also keen on the representation of minorities in the electoral process. He was particularly keen that representation needed to begin at the grassroots, at the municipal and village level. His efforts led to the inclusion of minorities by co-option into local Municipal Corporations, Mandal Parishads and Zilla Parishads. This increase in minority voices at the grassroots level not only increased representation but enabled the downtrodden to find a foothold in lndia’s vast government apparatus.

Bashiruddin Babukhan leaves behind an indelible legacy in building a just, equitable, modern, and educated nation. The Human Development Trust, founded by his son Salman Babukhan, and daughter in law Anjum Babukhan, is a continuation of Bashir’s legacy. With it, we hope to accelerate the impact of our work in empowering underserved minorities. lt is his towering body of work in the spirit of serving humanity that we will take forward.