Azim Premji Foundation grants Rs 500 crore to CMC Vellore for medical college in Chittoor

(L to R): Vikram Mathews, Director, CMC Vellore, Azim Premji, Chairman, Azim Premji Foundation, and Anand Swaminathan, Head – Health, Azim Premji Foundation.

Azim Premji Foundation on October 9 announced Rs 500 crore grant to India's top-ranked healthcare institute - Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore to set up a medical college and upgrade the existing 120-bed hospital into a teaching hospital with 422 beds, in Chittoor.

The grant will also enable CMC Vellore to extend the distinctive elements of their MBBS education and focus on the discipline of Primary-cum-Secondary Health Care (PSHC) to address the widening disparities in the Indian healthcare sector, the foundation said in a release.

CMC Vellore, located in Tamil Nadu, is a 3,675-bed multi-speciality healthcare institution.

CMC’s primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary-care hospitals are spread across Vellore and Ranipet districts of Tamil Nadu and Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Together, they serve over 32 lakh patients from around the country and South Asia, offering subsidies of over Rs 300 crore annually.

Dr. Vikram Mathews, Director of CMC Vellore, said, the new medical college and teaching hospital at Chittoor Campus will offer a replicable model of relevant medical education, healthcare delivery, research, and outreach, sensitive to the financial, societal, and resource constraints of Indians. "We are immensely grateful to the Azim Premji Foundation for partnering with us on this journey as CMC Vellore steps into her 125th anniversary in 2025," he added.

The two organisations have had a partnership since 2020 when the pandemic disrupted India’s healthcare system.

Anurag Behar, Chief Executive Officer, of Azim Premji Foundation, said, CMC Vellore is a true beacon for Indian healthcare. "We are privileged to support them as they establish their second medical college,” Behar added.

CMC Vellore's medical, nursing, and allied health education is offered to over 2,000 students every year, through 229 courses, at a fraction of the actual cost.