In what is possibly among the single largest donations made by an alumnus in India, Infosys co-founder and Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani donated Rs 315 crore to his alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Overall, he has committed Rs 400 crore in donations to the institute following his previous grants of Rs 85 crore.
A statement said that Nilekani marks 50 years of his association with the institute and the donation is to “fund world-class infrastructure, research in emerging areas of engineering and technology, and a deep tech startup ecosystem at IIT Bombay.”
Nilekani joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.
Speaking about the donation, Nilekani said, “IIT-Bombay has been a cornerstone in my life, shaping my formative years and laying the foundation for my journey. As I celebrate 50 years of my association with this esteemed Institution, I am grateful to give forward and contribute to its future.
“This donation is more than just a financial contribution; it is a tribute to the place that has given me so much and a commitment to the students who will shape our world tomorrow,” he added.
This Rs 315 crore ($38.5 million) is part of the institute’s plan to raise $500 million in the next five years. In the next decade, IIT-Bombay plans to set up world-class centres of excellence in areas such as artificial intelligence, green energy, quantum computing and others, through which it wants to nurture a deep tech start-up eco-system and provide best-in-class research, living, and academic facilities to students and faculty.
IIT Bombay director Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri said the donation “will significantly accelerate the growth of IIT Bombay and will firmly set it on a path of global leadership”.
“IIT Bombay is committed to building research and academic excellence that can make India a leader in scientific discovery and its translation towards solving the pressing challenges facing humankind. Nandan’s contribution will catalyse philanthropic contributions towards advancing research & development at universities in India,” he said.
An MoU was signed to this effect in Bengaluru on June 20.
Nilekani’s previous contributions of Rs 85 crore were instrumental in constructing new hostels, co-financing the School of Information Technology, and establishing India's first university incubator, the statement added.
The technocrat was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999, followed by an Honorary Doctorate in 2019.
In the past, Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan donated Rs 225 crore to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Rs 60 crore to IIT-Madras.
Last year, Mindtree's Subroto Bagchi and NS Parthasarathy donated Rs 425 crore to IISc to set up a medical institute and an 800-bed multi-speciality hospital. Quess Corp CEO Ajit Isaac has also donated Rs 105 crore to IISc as well.
IT industry veteran and Happiest Minds CEO Ashok Soota has donated Rs 20 crore to his alma mater, IIT Roorkee, through his research trust SKAN.
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