IIT Kanpur Alumnus Donates 200,000 USD to Establish 3 Endowment Programmes

Ashish Karandikar, US-based alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has donated 200,000 USD, equivalent to Rs 1,60,00,000 to his alma mater, to establish three endowed programmes aimed at fostering innovation, excellence, and academic growth within the Electrical Engineering department at the IIT.

The three endowments include Smt Lata and Shri K G Karandikar Faculty Chair, awarded to IITK faculty, empowering them to drive ground-breaking research and mentor future generations of engineers. The Karandikar Best PhD Thesis Award, recognising outstanding scholarly contributions celebrates exceptional doctoral theses, and the Karandikar Student Scholarship, aims to nurture and support students, providing them with financial assistance to pursue their academic endeavors, and making significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering, the IIT said.

Prof S Ganesh, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “We are grateful to Ashish Karandikar for this kind gesture which makes him part of a distinguished legacy of alumni who have contributed generously to the institution. The setting up of these endowed programs will pave the way for newer avenues of growth for our faculty, researchers, and students of the EE Department alike, thereby also contributing to the flourishing R&D ecosystem at the institute.”

Ashish Karandikar, currently the Vice President at NVIDIA, said, “I fundamentally believe that education has the power to change lives. It certainly has changed mine and IIT education has played a significant role in that. Electrical engineering is my passion and both of us, Abhay and I, wanted to contribute back to the electrical Engineering Department and IIT, and are thankful for the opportunity to contribute back.”

Prof Kantesh Balani, Dean of Resources and Alumni, IIT Kanpur said, “Such a generous support from Ashish Karandikar is sincerely applauded. Institution of these awards will witness impactful results including acknowledgment of deserving faculty and promoting students to pursue cutting-edge doctoral research while providing scholarships to needy students and enriching their experience at IIT Kanpur. With generous contribution of Karandikar, such an overarching and timely support will be highly helpful in assisting the growing needs of IIT Kanpur.”