Lecture on “Who Owns Wealth? Gandhi’s Answer to Capitalism”

While modern debates about capitalism often focus on markets versus government, Gandhi offered a strikingly different perspective. He argued that wealth should not be viewed as absolute private property but as a trust held on behalf of society. Drawing on the stories of some of India’s most influential business families, this lecture explores Gandhi’s idea of “trusteeship” and how it shaped generations of entrepreneurs.

It concludes by considering what Gandhi’s vision might contribute to contemporary debates about business, inequality, and corporate purpose. Dr. Sudev Sheth is Senior Lecturer of International Studies at the Lauder Institute and the Wharton School, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania.

His research explores the history of capitalism in India through the lives of merchants, entrepreneurs, and business families. Combining literary sources, archival manuscripts, and business records, he investigates how commerce has influenced culture, politics, and urban life. His current work traces merchant life in Ahmedabad across centuries while exploring the ways business gives form to cities and ideas.

He is the author of Bankrolling Empire: Family Fortunes and Political Transformation in Mughal India(Cambridge University Press, 2024).