In a landmark gesture of corporate philanthropy, some of India’s most influential business magnates have united to fund a ₹50 crore group health insurance scheme exclusively for members of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). The unprecedented initiative was unveiled by SCBA President and senior advocate Kapil Sibal during the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Supreme Court of India.
Marking the first time such a large-scale welfare programme for lawyers has been directly bankrolled by India Inc, the move saw enthusiastic contributions ranging between ₹5 crore and ₹10 crore from leading industrialists and conglomerates. Among the key donors are the Vedanta Group, Anil Ambani, Gautam Adani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Lakshmi Mittal, the Dhirubhai Ambani family, and the Torrent Group.
“This isn’t just a policy—it’s a lifeline,” declared Sibal during the event. “We see young lawyers coming to the court with dreams, but no safety net. This is our way of saying—we’ve got your back.”
Revealing the behind-the-scenes efforts, Sibal shared how he personally reached out to each of the business leaders. “I rang up Vedanta, and they gave ₹5 crores. I called my dear friend Anil Ambani—he couldn’t say no. Adani, I told him he’s the emperor of India now, and he gave ₹5 crores. Birla and Mittal came forward with ₹5 crores each. I asked the Ambani family to give ₹10 crores—and they did. Torrent Group too joined in with ₹5 crores,” he recounted, drawing applause from the packed audience.
Administered by United India Insurance, the comprehensive health plan is now fully available to thousands of SCBA members free of cost. Key features of the scheme include:
- ₹2 lakh annual coverage per family
- Inclusion of parents and in-laws of the insured lawyer
- Coverage of pre-existing conditions from Day 1
- Cashless treatment access in over 15,000 hospitals nationwide
- ₹50,000 maternity benefit for both normal and caesarean deliveries
- Coverage for congenital conditions, LASIK, and ambulance services
In addition to the insurance launch, the SCBA commemorated the Supreme Court’s milestone with the release of Pillars of Justice, a scholarly volume featuring critical essays on landmark judgments. Aimed at nurturing young legal minds, the book includes contributions from noted legal thinkers such as Gautam Bhatia, Jhanvi Sindhu, Vikramaditya Narayan, and others.
“The book is for our young academics—to read, critique, and engage. Legal thinking must evolve, not just be followed blindly,” Sibal emphasized.
The dual announcement—the welfare scheme and the academic anthology—marks a powerful convergence of legal, corporate, and intellectual commitment to strengthening India’s judicial ecosystem and supporting the community that sustains it.
