Abraham George is a social entrepreneur committed to providing opportunities and resources to the most underserved populations in India.

Dr. Abraham George began his career in the Indian army as an artillery officer at the Se La mountain pass on the China-India border, the highest battleground in the Himalayas at that time. Following brief military service, he moved to the United States, where he earned two Master’s degrees and a PhD in Business Administration from New York University. For nearly 25 years, Dr. George pursued a successful entrepreneurial career before returning to India in 1995 to address deep-rooted discrimination and economic oppression faced by the country’s social underclass.

Among the initiatives he embarked on in India are the Shanti Bhavan Residential School (www.shantibhavanchildren.org) to provide high-quality education to children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (www.iijnm.org), a premier post-graduate institution aimed at fostering a free and independent press in India. Further, he set up Baldev Medical & Community Center and Baldev Farms to serve the healthcare and financial needs of 15 villages across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states. His work in environmental health was pivotal in the removal of lead from gasoline across India in April 2000, a milestone achievement in public health.

Dr. George is the author of three books on international corporate finance and two on his social work in India. Over the years, he has served on several prestigious boards such as the Human Rights Watch and the International Center for Journalists, and has been honored with numerous awards, including the Hind Rattan.

Projects

Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project

In 1997, the Shanti Bhavan Residential School welcomed 48 preschoolers and kindergartners—24 girls and 24 boys. And the rest, as they say, is history. Shanti Bhavan is resilient. Through successes and challenges alike, Shanti Bhavan has sustained its efforts, providing quality education and support for children and breaking the cycle of poverty. Over 15,000 lives have been positively affected as a direct result of his intervention through Shanti Bhavan and other social projects, and hundreds of millions more through his lead poisoning prevention initiatives.

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Baldev Medical Center

In 2000, the Baldev Medical & Community Center building was inaugurated in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. The Center continues to help improve the health conditions of the community.

The Baldev Medical Center is a three-level building with approximately 16,000 square feet and provides primary healthcare, emergency care, and community services. During the COVID19 pandemic, the Baldev Medical Center distributed food rations, and hygiene products to over 4,000 village residents several times in a year. Through the “Quality of Life” project carried out by Baldev, a number of houses have been built for the poor, the quality of life of poor people have been improved through supply of beds, utensils, blankets, etc. and savings programs have been set up.

Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media

IIJNM was established in 2000 with the goal of improving public and private governance through a strong and independent press. The Institute's curriculum is developed in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York and is now among South Asia’s top postgraduate schools of journalism and media.

Project Lead Free

In 1997, The George Foundation launched Project Lead-Free, a lead and anemia screening program initiated in Bangalore and additional cities. The project comprised three components: testing, treatment, and prevention/education for lead poisoning. Its testing phase was the largest such screening of its kind in the world, assessing the level of lead poisoning in the general population of India. As a result, sweeping change was implemented in India, including the introduction of lead-free petrol, and the creation of the The National Referral Center for Lead Poisoning Prevention in India.

Book Publications

Dr. George has authored several books and articles on multinational finance:

  • International Finance Handbook (2 volumes), John Wiley & Sons (ISBN 0-471-09861-2)

  • Foreign exchange Management and the Multinational Corporation, Holt, Rinehart and Winston (ISBN 0-03-046641-5)

  • Protecting Shareholder Value: International Financial Risk Management, Prentice Hall (ISBN 0-7863-0439-1)

Since becoming a full-time philanthropist, George has written several articles and has published two books:

  • India Untouched: The Forgotten Face of Rural Poverty, Writer's Collective (ISBN 81-88661-18-X) - A description of Dr. George's initial 10 years of social work in rural India.

  • Lead Poisoning Prevention and Treatment: Implementing a National Program in Developing Countries - distributed by World Bank to governments of developing countries in 2001 for policy implementation.

Awards & Recognitions

  • The Hind Rattan is one of the highest Indian diasporic awards granted annually to nonresident persons of Indian origin (NRIs) by the NRI Welfare Society of India. Dr. Abraham George received the award in 1997 for his work on Project Lead Free.

  • The Stewart Satter Social Entrepreneurship Award is given annually in recognition of those within the Stern community to those who further social venture creation and education initiatives. Dr. Abraham George received this award in 2007.

  • The American India Foundation awards the Spirit of India award to those outstanding in the area of social service to India. Dr. Abraham George received the Spirit of India Award in 2002.

  • The Millennium Awards honor those who most exemplify leadership and service to the Indian community. Dr. Abraham George received the Millennium Award for his efforts in 2007.

  • The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) annually recognize individuals who have excelled in serving the Indian community. Dr. Abraham George received their Community Service Award in 2017.

  • Dr. Abraham George received the Kerala Cultural Center's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for his work in poverty alleviation.

  • Item deThe Global Organization of People of Indian Origin presented Dr. George with this award in March, 2025.