IIT Kanpur: Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation to fund school of medical sciences, technology

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) signed an agreement with the Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation to support the establishment of the School of Medical Sciences and Technology (SMST) at the institute. Anil Bansal, the proprietor of the Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation, is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, and runs the Foundation, along with his wife Kumud Bansal.

Under the agreement, the Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation will donate an amount of 2.5 million US dollars for the establishment of the medical school. The medical school is now being named as Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology.

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School of Medical Sciences and Technology

IIT Kanpur’s medical school will be completed in two phases. Phase I of the project will include setting up a 500-bed super-specialty hospital, academic block, residential or hostel, and service block. Phase I will also include setting up Centers of Excellence (CoE) for pursuing R&D activities in futuristic medicine. This phase is tentatively planned to be completed over the next 3-5 years.

Phase II of the project will see the hospital capacity grow to 1000 beds, expansion in clinical departments or centers, research areas, the inclusion of paramedical disciplines, alternative medicine, hospital management, sports medicine, and public health programmes. Phase II is planned to be completed over a period of 7-10 years.

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IIT Kanpur’s alumnus

Bansal graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1977 from IIT Kanpur and went on to study at the University of Notre Dame. He is the President of First National Realty Management, which owns and manages commercial properties throughout the United States. He was the main founder of Indus American Bank and serves on the boards of several corporations and charity organizations. Bansal also runs the Bansal Charitable Foundation, which provides financial support to many nonprofit organizations in the US.

About the funding, Anil Bansal said, “To be able to contribute to one’s alma mater always feels great and when the occasion is such a noble one, the excitement gets multiplied. I am glad to witness IIT Kanpur scaling new heights under the able leadership of Prof. Abhay Karandikar and believe that this new endeavor to set up a one-of-a-kind School of Medical Sciences & Technology would truly bring a new outlook to the field of medical research and innovation in India. My wife Kumud, and I are delighted to be part of this journey.”

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Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “Our vision has been getting shaped with the growing generous insights and contributions from our global alumni network. We planted the seed for setting up a dedicated school to bridge the gap between medical and technology disciplines in order to bring a paradigm shift in medical research and innovation in India, and now it is our alumni who are coming forward to help us nurture that vision into a reality. We are grateful for this generous contribution from our alumnus, Anil Bansal, and welcome him to be a part of the Founder’s Circle in our endeavor to achieve this goal.”