What Happened to Being Human: The Salman Khan Foundation?

The Being Human Foundation, officially known as Being Human: The Salman Khan Foundation, was established in 2007 by prominent Bollywood actor Salman Khan with a mission to provide education and healthcare services to underprivileged communities across India. The foundation's unique funding model relies heavily on the sales of its 'Being Human' branded merchandise, which includes clothing, watches, and jewellery, with a percentage of the profits directed towards its charitable initiatives. This commercial arm was launched in 2009 with a clothing line, expanding over the years to a global presence with exclusive brand outlets and numerous points of sale.

Over the years, the foundation has undertaken various charitable activities. In education, it has supported schools like Akshara High School, funded career development centers, and established educational resource centers in Maharashtra, benefiting thousands of children directly and indirectly. In healthcare, Being Human has provided funding for treatments of congenital heart defects and craniofacial deformities, conducted free eye camps resulting in thousands of cataract surgeries, and organized bone-marrow donor registration camps. The VEER Initiative, a program to train and employ differently-abled individuals, also saw significant success, training nearly 2,000 people by 2015.

Despite its charitable endeavors, the foundation has encountered several controversies and criticisms. In 2017 and 2018, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai threatened to blacklist Being Human for allegedly failing to set up concessional dialysis machines in Bandra, a project under a public-private partnership. The foundation, however, denied signing any formal contract for the project. More significantly, questions regarding the foundation's financial transparency and the specificity of its impact reporting have persisted. A July 2026 report by FundTracker highlighted a 'transparency problem,' noting that the foundation's public information often leans more towards marketing featuring Salman Khan than granular outcome data, making it challenging for donors to evaluate its effectiveness. Former director Abhinav Kashyap also made allegations of money laundering and that the charity was a PR exercise in 2019 and 2021.

The most recent development, as of September 2026, involves a legal dispute. In August 2026, a Chandigarh court issued pre-cognisance notices to Salman Khan, his sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri, and the Being Human Foundation in connection with a jewellery franchise complaint. A businessman, Arun Gupta, alleged that he incurred losses of nearly Rs 3 crores after investing in a Being Human jewellery showroom, claiming a lack of promised business support from the company. The court has scheduled further proceedings for October 5, 2026, indicating ongoing legal scrutiny. While the foundation maintains its charitable registration, these recurring issues underscore the challenges it faces in balancing its celebrity association, commercial ventures, and philanthropic mission.