With 75L from 2001 batch, IIT launches endowment fund
Times of India | 13 January 2026
Kolkata: IIT Kharagpur launched an endowment fund scheme, the IIT Kharagpur Tech Junction Endowment Fund, with a seed amount of Rs 75 lakh from the 2001 batch, who contributed on the 25th year anniversary of their graduation. An MoU was signed last week with the 2001 alumni batch during the institute's global alumni meet.
An official said, "The endowment scheme initially started with the contribution of the 2001 batch of alumni. It will grow as different batches come forward to contribute, as the institute is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee year. The fund aims to ensure long-term sustainability and scalability of programmes focused on democratising technology education and fostering research, innovation, skilling, and entrepreneurship (RISE). The corpus will be professionally invested, with its annual returns perpetually supporting talent development programmes, national technology competitions, innovation workshops, and early-stage start-up grants."
An alumnus from the 2001 batch, who requested anonymity, shared, "The purpose of contributing the seed amount for the fund is to enable the youngsters to harness technology, promote right kind of competitions and research, kindle passion to solve real-life problems using technology, and help them set up enterprises, if possible."
A senior official said, "The institute will use Rs 26.7 crores over the next 12 months under three schemes, pre-PG internship grants to build a strong research talent pipeline, Platinum Jubilee Talent Hunt to identify and showcase innovators nationwide, and Young Entrepreneur Grants to seed start-ups addressing critical national challenges. The newly created endowment fund will ensure continuity and expansion of these initiatives well beyond the Institute of Eminence funding horizon."
He shared that the programme is unique because of the collaboration between student-alumni and the administration in governance. The Office of the Dean (R&D) serves as the custodian of the fund, alumni provide strategic guidance and sustained financial support, and the TSG Technology Secretariat executes programmes leveraging platforms such as Kshitij and the Inter-IIT Tech Meet.