NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) has received the largest single donation of Rs 228 Crore from its alumnus awardee Dr Krishna Chivukula. The alumnus joined the Institute in 1970 to pursue a MTech in aerospace engineering and has now established a company the INDO US MIM Tec. The donation is one of the largest ever made to an educational institution in India, IIT Madras’s press release stated.
To honour Chivukula, IIT Madras has now named an academic block as Krishna Chivukula Block.
This donation will be utilised for multiple purposes including supporting international students to study at IIT Madras through a scholarship, a research excellence grant programme, and a UG fellowship programme for freshers. Along with it, the donation will also be used in a sports scholar programme, Shaastra magazine development and the Krishna Chivukula Block maintenance, among other activities, read the release.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion, Professor V. Kamakoti, Director, of IIT Madras, said, “That our alumnus still remembers his Alma Mater after several decades reinforces the fact that education is the only immortal wealth that we can give to mankind. Grateful to Krishna Chivukula for his big contribution, which will benefit several future generations of students in their pursuit of knowledge.”
IIT Madras funding in last years
During 2023-24, the institute raised Rs 513 crore which was a 135 per cent increase from the previous financial year,. The release also stated that the number of donors giving over Rs 1 crore to the institute is 48 (16 alumni donors and 32 corporate partners).
These funds were raised from IIT Madras alumni and individual philanthropists in addition to CSR funds and grants from Indian as well as Multinational Corporate firms.
The total amount raised through alumni alone during 2023-24 was Rs 367 crore, which is an increase of 282 per cent compared to the previous year.
Agencies

KR Desk