Corporate donations continued to dominate political funding for regional parties, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all declared contributions, according to a new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The analysis, based on donation reports submitted to the Election Commission by 40 of India's 67 recognised regional parties for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25, found that corporates contributed ₹872.54 crore, or 62.36%, of the total donations received. Individual donors contributed ₹193.95 crore, or 13.86%, despite making up nearly 69% of all donations.
The ADR report examined donations above ₹20,000 and analysed funding patterns, major donors, sectors, modes of contribution, state-wise distribution and the disclosure of donor PAN details.
Among regional parties, the DMK, led by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, reported the highest donations in FY 2024-25, receiving ₹365.78 crore through 467 contributions. The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) ranked second with ₹184.96 crore, followed by the YSR Congress Party (₹140 crore) and the Telugu Desam Party (₹83 crore).
Other major recipients included the AIADMK (₹66 crore), Biju Janata Dal (₹60 crore), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (₹33 crore), Jana Sena Party (₹25 crore), Janata Dal (United) (₹18 crore) and the Indian Union Muslim League (₹15 crore).
The report noted a sharp increase in political funding during FY 2024-25. The number of donations above ₹20,000 rose by 85%, from 2,861 in FY 2023-24 to 5,297 in FY 2024-25.
The total value of declared donations also more than tripled, increasing from ₹347.69 crore in FY 2023-24 to ₹1,051.56 crore in FY 2024-25.
While parties such as the DMK, AITC, JMM, AIADMK, JD(U) and BJD recorded significant growth in donations, others, including the BRS, TDP, Jana Sena Party, CPI, JD(S) and MNS, reported a decline in contributions during the same period.
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