Renovated Cauvery Hostel inaugurated at IIT Madras

CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ Cauvery Hostel, the first-ever to be constructed on the campus, has been renovated at a cost of Rs. 2.5 Crore. The renovation was made possible with the generous support from Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Krishna Chivukula (M.Tech. 1970 Batch), Founder and Chairman, INDO-MIM Pvt Limited.

The renovated hostel was inaugurated today (8th September 2021) in the presence of eminent dignitaries including Shri S. Shankar (1970 Batch), General Manager, INDO-MIM Pvt Limited, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, as well as other faculty members.

Dr. Krishna Chivukula contributed a total of Rs. 5.5 Crore towards the Institute’s ‘Keep it flowing’ campaign for the renovation of three hostels:

Ø Cauvery Hostel (Rs. 2.5 Crore

Ø Godavari Hostel (Rs. 1.5 Crore), and

Ø Jamuna Hostel (Rs. 1.5 Crore)

Addressing the Inauguration Ceremony of the renovated IIT Madras’ Cauvery Hostel virtually, Dr. Krishna Chivukula (1970 Batch), Founder and Chairman, INDO-MIM Pvt Limited, said, “The all-round knowledge you get from a five-year program at IIT Madras is world-class and we paid almost nothing compared to what you pay in the U.S. or Europe for comparable institutions. Also, I do not think there are comparable institutions in the U.S. or Europe as I feel IITs are incomparable. Tuition fee at top Western Institutions is about Rs. 60 lakh per year and we are getting the same level of education for a fraction of that cost in India”

Further, Dr. Krishna Chivukula said, “IIT Graduates have established unbelievable benchmarks around the world. I think it is very important for us to give something back to our alma mater where we received this unbelievable education at almost no cost. I appeal to all my fellow alumni to contribute what they can to further the Institute’s mission ”

Dr. Krishna Chivukula introduced Metal Injection Molding (MIM) in India through his company Indo-MIM Pvt. Ltd., while this state-of-the-art manufacturing technology was still nascent in other parts of the world. Indo-MIM Pvt. Ltd. has received many international awards in recognition of excellence achieved in various categories.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, said, “We decided that we will go through a full cycle of upgrading the Institute. Lot of our older buildings are getting upgrades. We launched a program called ‘Keep It Flowing’ to approach our alumni to raise the money to rejuvenate every hostel. ‘Keep It Flowing’ has been one of our most successful programs in terms of involvement of the alumni…. We made our own shoe racks that are ‘monkey proof’ and fitted it out over the hostels”

Cauvery Hostel was constructed in 1961 with a capacity to accommodate 216 students in single occupancy. The hostel was expanded in 2002 to accommodate another 171 students. Since 2018, the rooms have been converted as double-occupancy rooms to accommodate around 750 students. It has now got a face-lift with several façade improvements like relaying of tiles and railings, shoe rack fixing, waterproofing, painting and fully renovated restrooms.

Speaking earlier, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said, “Future generations of students should remember that it was alumni generosity that made their comfortable stay in the hostel, possible.”

Prof. Nilesh J. Vasa, Dean (Student), IIT Madras, Prof. T. Thyagaraj, Chairman, Council of Wardens, IIT Madras, Prof. RG Robinson, Chairman, Engineering Unit, IIT Madras, Prof. Sriram, Warden, Cauvery Hostel, IIT Madras, spoke on the occasion.

IIT Madras is grateful to the couple Dr. Krishna Chivukula and Dr. Jagadamba (Neonatologist, USA), and their family for their generosity and strong commitment towards holistic growth, expansion, and advancement of the Institute.

Dr. Krishna Chivukula graduated from IIT Madras in 1970 with an M. Tech. degree in Aerospace Engineering. Prior to this, he earned his B. Tech. degree with Honours in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 1968. He received his MBA degree from Harvard University in 1980, and was awarded the Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) degree from Tumkur University in 2012.

He was conferred the Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Madras in 2015, and IIT Bombay in 2016. Dr. Chivukula has championed the setting up of a casting foundry in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, which specialises in the production and export of high-precision machining and investment castings for the automotive sector including aerospace applications.