Nandan Nilekani To Rakesh Gangwal: Indians Who Donated Most To Their Alma Mater

Nandan Nilekani, Infosys co-founder and non-executive chairman, announced to donate Rs 315 crore to his alma mater Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. The donation marks 50 years of his association with the institute in various roles. He had joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. 

“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”, said Nilekani.

In the past, several industry leaders and entrepreneurs have made such donations to express their gratitude towards their institutes.  Here are some of the largest donations made by alumni of prestigious educational institutes aross India in recent years:

Kris Gopalakrishnan – IISc Bangalore

In February this year, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) signed an MoU with Pratiksha Trust, established by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and wife Sudha Gopalakrishnan, to grant Rs 450 crore over the next 10 years for brain research. 

In 2014, Gopalakrishnan announced a Rs 225 crore grant over 10 years to set up a Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the IISc. He has been supporting R&D activities to create world-class infrastructure in the Centre for Brain Research (CBR).

Rakesh Gangwal – IIT Kanpur

Rakesh Gangwal, co-founder of IndiGo Airlines, donated Rs 100 crore to set up the School of Medical Sciences and Technology with a 500-bed super-speciality hospital in IIT Kanpur in April 2022. The medical institute will be named Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology.

Subroto Bagchi and NS Parthasarathy – IISc Bangalore

In February 2022, Mindtree co-founders Subroto Bagchi and NS Parthasarathy announced a donation of Rs 425 crore to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to build a medical institute and an 800-bed multi-speciality hospital. 

Ajit Issac – IISc Bengaluru

Quess Corp founder Ajit Issac and wife Sarah committed a sum of Rs 105 crore in March 2022, to set up a Centre for Public Health at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The centre is likely to commence operations by 2024.

Ashok Soota – IIT Roorkee

In June 2021, Happiest Minds-founder Ashok Soota’s SKAN Medical research trust today announced a grant of Rs 20 crore to IIT Roorkee for sponsoring a Chair Professorship, three Faculty Fellowships, creation of a lab and funding of joint research projects.