Indian-origin philanthropist who donated $5.5 million to Texas hospital says she’s uncomfortable with publicity: ‘We don’t advertise’

Sunita Agarwal said she and her husband, Brij Agarwal, prefer to keep their philanthropic work out of the spotlight.

Sunita Agarwal and her husband Brij Agarwal do not like to advertise their philanthropic works. After the Indian- American couple’s $5.5 million donation to the St Luke’s Foundation in Texas launched them into the limelight, Sunita Agarwal said they are uncomfortable with publicity. In the past, too, they made several such donations but they believe philanthropy is less about publicity and more about creating a legacy of giving. ““My husband and I have made several donations, but we prefer not to talk about or advertise them,” Sunita said in an interview with New India Abroad. “This time, St. Luke’s published the details on their website, which is how everyone found out.”“For my husband and me, education and health are the most important areas to focus on for our philanthropic work. But we don’t like to discuss the details even with our children,” she said.Brij Agarwal is a Texas-based Indian-American entrepreneur and the CEO and president of VKC Group, a restaurant management and franchise company that operates dozens of restaurant locations in the Greater Houston region.Their pledge of $5.5 million to the Sugar Land Hospital came at a time when Indians are at the receiving end of hatred in Texas for what is being referred to as a ‘takeover of Texas’ by Indians. As many American influencers are out on the streets in Houston to interview H-1B visa holders, Indians, several social media users questioned why these hate-mongers are blind to what Indian-origin people like Agarwals are doing for Texas.

Who is Brij Agarwal?

Brij Agarwal was born in India and came to Houston in 1979 at the age of 17. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Houston in 1988 and started his engineering career. He was the lead engineer for MW Kellogg, and the CEO for ABM Industries. In 1988, he established the VKC Group with just one store. As he expanded his business, he focused on philanthropy work as well. He established a Presidential Endowment at the Cullen College for Engineering for students at his alma mater, the University of Houston, which awards several scholarships.In 2022, they donated $1 million to the University of Houston’s Sugar Land campus to support manufacturing education and research facilities. The university named the Brij and Sunita Agrawal Auditorium in their honor.