IGATE Co-founder Sunil Wadhwani Donates Rs 110 Cr To IIT Madras AI School
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) alumnus Sunil Wadhwani has donated Rs 110 crore to establish the Wadhwani School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the institution.
Wadhwani is renowned as the co-founder of prominent US-based IT services companies IGATE (acquired by Capgemini) and Mastech Digital, said he wants to position the school as a pivotal hub for advising the government and policymakers on critical aspects of data science and AI-related policies.
The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, based out of IIT Madras, will seek to play an important role in shaping policy frameworks and steering the nation towards a data-driven future. Sunil Wadhwani's generous donation aligns with the global trend seen in prestigious institutions like Rockefeller University and Carnegie Mellon University, which have received substantial endowments propelling them into the forefront of cutting-edge research and education.
Wadhwani’s initiative comes on the heels of similar contributions by other tech industry stalwarts like Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, who recently donated Rs 315 crore to IIT Bombay. Further, Kris Gopalakrishnan, another Infosys co-founder, made significant donations of Rs 225 crore to the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru in 2014.
Admissions to the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI are slated to commence in July 2024, offering a spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The school will also enhance its global footprint by collaborating with the University of Birmingham, UK, to provide a joint master's degree in Data Science and AI.
