IIT Bombay received a donation of ₹315 crore ($42.7 million) from alumnus Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and chairman of Infosys and the founding chairman of UIDAI ($42.7 million). Nilekani, an institute alumnus who has been connected to it for 50 years, has already helped with the building of new dorms and an incubator for start-up businesses. One of the greatest gifts given by an Indian alumnus, it will be utilised to advance IIT’s development and position it as a world leader.
Tuesday saw a donation of ₹315 crore made to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay by alumnus Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and chairman of Infosys and the founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Alumnus Nandan Nilekani’s earlier contributions to IIT Bombay
His earlier gifts of 85 crore to the top engineering school have been added to by this contribution, increasing the total value of his assistance to 400 crore. Today in Bengaluru, Nilekani and Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri, the director of IIT Bombay, signed a memorandum of agreement.
In order to earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Nilekani enrolled in IIT Bombay in 1973. His 50-year affiliation with the institute is commemorated by the contribution. According to a statement from IIT Bombay, it is also one of the biggest gifts given by an alumni in India.
Nilekani has continued to be involved with the institute for the past 50 years in a variety of capacities. He was a member of the board of governors from 2005 to 2011 and the IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation from 1999 to 2009.
The original donation from alumnus Nandan Nilekani, which over the years amounted to 85 crore, was crucial in creating India’s first university incubator and building new dormitories as well as co-financing the School of Information Technology and the country’s startup environment. In 1999, he received the esteemed Distinguished Alumnus Award, and in 2019, he received an Honorary Doctorate.
IIT Bombay’s growth would be greatly accelerated by this contribution, according to Chaudhuri, and it would be firmly placed on a road towards world leadership. “IIT Bombay is dedicated to fostering scholarly and research excellence that may position India as a global leader in scientific research and its application to the urgent problems that the human race faces. According to him, Nandan’s contribution would spur charitable donations aimed at furthering the advancement of research at Indian colleges.
The establishment of centres of excellence in fields like artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and quantum computing, the promotion of a deep tech startup ecosystem, and the provision of top-notch research, residential, and educational facilities for faculty and students are all part of IIT Bombay’s strategic plan for the next ten years, the statement claims.
