More than a decade after the passing of Sathya Sai Baba, the vast humanitarian initiatives he established continue to shape lives across India and abroad, fulfilling the three wishes expressed by his mother, Easwaramma. What began in the remote village of Puttaparthi has grown into an international model of philanthropy, education, and healthcare—built on the principles of service, compassion, and universal human welfare that characterised Sai Baba’s spiritual mission. Today, these legacy institutions stand as world-class centres of learning, research, and medical care, driven by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which remains responsible for carrying forward Baba’s vision.

Central to these initiatives are three flagship programmes: free education from primary school to doctoral research, free primary to tertiary medical care including advanced surgical procedures, and comprehensive drinking water projects that have transformed access to clean water in some of the country’s driest regions. Over the past five decades, these programmes have evolved from small, service-based enterprises into highly specialised and technologically equipped institutions that continue to operate entirely free of cost. Collectively, they have placed Puttaparthi on the global humanitarian map and turned Sathya Sai Baba’s philosophy of selfless service into a functional, large-scale institutional framework.

As the organisation prepares for Sathya Sai Baba’s centenary birth celebrations, the Trust emphasises that every initiative maintains strict adherence to the principles laid down by Baba himself. R. J. Rathnakar, managing trustee of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, said that every sphere—education, medical services, and social welfare—continues exactly as envisioned by Baba. He noted that the cornerstone of Sai institutions is that no student pays for education and no patient receives a bill, regardless of the complexity or duration of treatment. This approach, he said, remains unchanged and has expanded in recent years to include new programmes targeting children and rural populations.

Among these newer initiatives is the supply of fortified energy drinks to students across Andhra Pradesh. According to Rathnakar, the programme now reaches 34 lakh students in 45,000 schools across 26 districts, providing nutritional support on a scale rarely undertaken by a charitable organisation. He explained that the Trust is committed not only to maintaining Baba’s legacy but also to modernising and expanding it through technological upgrades, enhanced training programmes, and outreach initiatives that respond to contemporary needs. “We are trying to be trendy and catch up with whatever is happening around,” he said.

One of the most notable technological upgrades is the introduction of free robotic heart surgery at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi. According to Dr. Anil Kumar Mulpur, Joint Director and Head of Cardiac Surgery at the institute, the Puttaparthi hospital is the first in the world to offer robotic heart surgery completely free of cost. He noted that between the Puttaparthi and Whitefield hospitals, the Sai medical institutions perform nearly 200 free heart surgeries each month. With the addition of robotic procedures, the medical programme is poised to reach new standards in precision and efficiency, supported by continuous improvements in logistics and clinical infrastructure.

The Trust’s contributions to drinking water access remain another defining feature of Sai Baba’s humanitarian work. In the largely arid regions of the former Anantapur district, the drinking water project initiated by Baba brought sustainable, piped water to more than 1,621 villages through a massive network of pipelines stretching 2,800 to 3,000 kilometres. The project continues to function smoothly and is now maintained by the state government, reflecting the long-term viability and engineering quality of the initiative. For millions of residents, this project represented the first reliable source of clean water and remains one of the largest charitable water projects undertaken in India.

Healthcare services also extend into rural areas through the Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital, an outreach programme that brings doctors, diagnostic equipment, and minor surgical procedures to village residents. The mobile clinic operates 12 days each month, visiting one village per day and offering dental services, screenings, medicines, and preventive care. Patients requiring specialised treatment are directed to the main Sai hospitals, where they receive comprehensive care free of cost. According to the Trust, the mobile hospital model has become indispensable for communities that lack regular access to healthcare facilities.

Following Sathya Sai Baba’s Maha Samadhi in 2011, many questioned how such a vast network of programmes would sustain itself without his direct guidance. Rathnakar said these doubts overlooked the strong institutional foundation Baba had already created. He noted that Baba established robust systems, trained teams, and built financial frameworks capable of running large-scale operations independently. Today, with the support of devotees and donors, the Trust continues to fund projects through a combination of annual contributions and a carefully managed corpus.

Rathnakar explained that the Trust has built a corpus of several thousand crores, generating interest that helps fund ongoing programmes. Since 2011, the corpus has been augmented by an additional ₹800 to ₹1,000 crore, while ₹1,500 to ₹1,800 crore has been spent on regular operations and project expansion. Each year, a portion of donations is added to the corpus to ensure financial stability. The Trust aims to preserve this structure so that all its services—whether a complex heart surgery, a university degree, or a village drinking water system—remain permanently free for beneficiaries.

He emphasised that the continued success of these projects reflects both the foresight of Sathya Sai Baba and the dedication of the teams who uphold his principles. The institutions, he said, treat patients and serve students without reference to caste, creed, colour, nationality, or religion. This inclusivity remains central to the Sai philosophy and is one of the reasons the initiatives have earned global respect.

As the centenary celebrations approach, the Trust is preparing to expand outreach, upgrade facilities, enhance technological integration, and renew its commitment to serving humanity. For followers and beneficiaries alike, the enduring impact of Sathya Sai Baba’s work demonstrates that his legacy—rooted in the values of compassion, service, and equality—remains very much alive in the institutions he created.