IndiGo Airlines Co-Founder Donates Rs 100 Cr To Alma Mater IIT Kanpur:
The Co-founder of IndiGo Airlines– Rakesh Gangwal, made a remarkable gesture and donated Rs 100 crore to its alma-mater– Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur).
The fund will go toward the School of Medical Sciences and Technology, which IIT Kanpur is currently building. The commitment is made on a personal level.
“In an extraordinary gesture, our alumnus Mr. Rakesh Gangwal, co-founder of IndiGo airlines has made one of the largest personal donations with a Rs 100 crore contribution focused on supporting the School of Medical Sciences & Technology at IIT Kanpur,” the IIT-K director Abhay Karandikar tweeted on Monday.
Here is big news from @IITKanpur
In an extraordinary gesture, our alumnus Mr Rakesh Gangwal, Co-Founder of IndiGo airlines has made one of the largest personal donations with a 100 crore contribution focused on supporting the School of Medical Sciences & Technology at IIT Kanpur— Abhay Karandikar (@karandi65) April 4, 2022
Gangwal will also become a part of an advisory board of the upcoming school.
The IIT-Kanpur had made an announcement of opening a medical school consisting of a super-specialty teaching hospital called the school of medical research and technology. This project aims to synergize engineering, technology, and medical research.
The IIT-Kanpur wants to create a fusion of medicine with engineering to produce cross-disciplinary learning through this initiative.
The school and the medical college campus will spread over an area of around 1 million square feet. Phase one of the project is expected to get completed in the next three to five years.
At the donation giving ceremony, Mr. Rakesh Gangwal was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Shobha Gangwal, and his daughter Ms. Parul Gangwal.
Others included prominent Mumbai/Pune-based IITK alumni Mr. Hemant Jalan who earlier donated Rs 18 Crore for the school, BoG member Shri Pradeep Goyal, Shri Arun Seth, Shri Pravin Bhagwat, Shri Deepak Raj, Shri Shyamendra Narain, and Shri Gautam Khanna.
These days, the IITs, especially the older establishments, are seeking help beyond government donations. They are increasingly relying on industry support and donations from alumni-base to accelerate their growth and expansion.