'Rare occurrence': Anonymous IIT Bombay alumnus donates Rs 160 crore to institute

IIT Bombay on Thursday received a donation of $18.6 million (Rs 160 crore) from an anonymous source, said a report on Friday. The institution revealed that the donation came from an alumnus for the establishment of a Green Energy and Sustainability Research (GESR) Hub, reported The Times of India.

The identity of the donor will not be revealed as the person wants to stay anonymous.

“This is a rare occurrence in Indian academia that a philanthropist wishes to stay anonymous,” said director of IIT Bombay, Prof Subhasis Chaudhari.

Chaudhari also added that this is the first time their institution has received such an anonymous donation.

“It is the first time that we have received an anonymous donation. In fact, while this is common in the USA, I don't think any university in India has received a private gift where the donor wants to remain faceless. Donors know that when they give IIT-B money, it will be used efficiently and for the right purpose,” he added.

The GESR Hub built with the funds will help in research of critical areas like solar photovoltaics, battery technologies, clean-air science, flood forecasting and carbon capture.

“The establishment of this hub underscores our dedication to tackling climate challenges through cutting-edge research, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and nurturing entrepreneurial endeavours,” Prof Chaudhari said.

The institute further said that the GESR hub will be placed within a state-of-the-art academic building at the IIT Bombay Campus in suburban Powai.

The research centre will additionally provide industry-specific educational training and foster strategic partnerships with international universities and corporations.

This is the second donation from an alumnus for IIT Bombay as last month Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani donated Rs 315 crore to the institute marking his 50-years of association with it. Till now, he has donated Rs 400 crore to his alma mater. Due to this generous donation, IIT Bombay named their main iconic building after Nilekani.

Nilekani got admitted into the IIT Bombay in 1973 for a Bachelors in electrical engineering.

IIT Bombay was ranked at number 4 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023, which ranks all the educational institutes in the country.

But, it still remained as the top Indian institute in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings at number 149. The iconic institute received a score of 51.7 out of 100 in the list released in June.