IIT Gandhinagar crosses Rs 100 crore milestone in philanthropic fund receipts since its inception

Gandhinagar: In a landmark feat, the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has crossed Rs 100 crores in philanthropic fund receipts since its inception. Starting with modest donations in 2008, the 14-year young Institute has been consistently raising more than Rs 10 crores annually over the past five years.

IITGN has reached this remarkable milestone in such a short span with generous philanthropic support from its well-wishers spread across the globe, who have responded to its far-sighted educational innovations and institutional governance practices over the years. Most of its contributors are non-IITGN alumni donors, predominantly of Gujarati origin, based in India or abroad.

Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN, said, “IITGN is a trailblazer that has opened many new horizons for its contemporaries. Crossing Rs 100 crore in philanthropic receipts, principally from non-alumni well-wishers, is a tribute to not just its ideas and vision, but also to their transformation into actions and results. We thank our donors for their trust and their support for excellence in various areas, and commit ourselves to embracing new challenges and championing innovative ideas for the advancement of science and technology for societal good.”

Lauding the extraordinary achievement, Mr. Ruyintan Mehta, President of the IITGN Foundation in the US and an ardent, long-term well-wisher of the institute, said, “For a young IIT, raising 100 crore rupees in such a short period of its existence is a huge achievement. It speaks volumes about the unique culture, academic rigour and the wonderful infrastructure at IIT Gandhinagar. I am proud to serve as President of IIT Gandhinagar Foundation in the US.”

Congratulating the Institute, Mr Maulik Jasubhai, Chairman, Jasubhai Group, Mumbai, who has supported several programmes at the Institute, praised the institute’s leadership and governance, and said, “This milestone achievement is a great reflection of the innovative and purposeful leadership of IIT Gandhinagar. Knowing IIT Gandhinagar, this landmark will only accelerate and motivate this Institution to achieve far greater heights in the service to our nation.”

The sentiment was echoed by Shri Mukesh Shah, Managing Partner at Ahmedabad-based Shah Bhogilal Jethalal & Bros (AAAG India), who has set up an endowment to support academic and research excellence at IITGN, said, “With advanced infrastructure and strength to conduct world-class research, it is no wonder that IITGN has earned reputation around the world and achieved this landmark in less than 15 years. We are proud to be associated with this premier Institute and I can confidently say that this is just the beginning of a much larger success story for IITGN.”

While a large proportion of the philanthropic support to the institute so far has come from non-alumni donors, IITGN alumni have also shown a strong commitment to giving back to their alma mater. Although in the early phases of their professional career, more than 50% of them contribute to the Institute’s annual giving, which is among the highest proportion in the world, and several have established endowed scholarships to support current students.

Philanthropic contributions to the institute support financial aid to students, scholarships for academic excellence, research support, faculty and programme-specific Chairs, community welfare initiatives, etc.

IITGN is widely recognised for its commitment to academic and research excellence with a global outlook through its carefully crafted educational programmes and initiatives on leadership, critical-thinking, creativity, project-oriented and experiential learning, interdisciplinarity, entrepreneurship, and societal engagement. Many of its pioneering programmes, such as the Foundation Programme, Explorer’s Fellowship, and dignified housing for campus construction workers have been adopted nationally.