IIT Kanpur aims to raise USD 1 billion, focus on cybersecurity, medtech, drones, 4 other strategic areas

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur is set to launch an ambitious “Greater Than Us” fundraising campaign, the largest in the history of IITs. The institute plans to pivot and focus on seven strategic areas, including cybersecurity, medtech, social security, sustainability, semiconductors, drones and quantum technologies.

Manindra Agrawal, IIT Kanpur director told Careers360, “We are aiming for a very ambitious target of raising a billion dollars through various initiatives within the institute, including infrastructure, people, special and strategic initiatives.” The official added that the institute has already raised about half of the target and aims to raise the rest over the next two-and-a-half years from the government, industry, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, alumni and other donors.

In a social media post shared on Monday, the institute announced that defence minister Rajnath Singh will unveil the campaign on October 14.

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IITK Kanpur: Why a fundraising drive now

IIT Kanpur director Agrawal said regular government funding, including support from the education ministry, largely covers salaries and maintenance, leaving the institute to seek additional resources through fundraising for its new initiatives, research infrastructure and the recruitment of highly talented people.

“If we want to grow, in addition to the common funds, we need to raise funds to really support new initiatives, bring very talented people to campus and provide them with the necessary research infrastructure support,” he said. “For these, the government funds are not sufficient.”

All IITs also access loans from the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to build infrastructure along with raising money through other arms of the government for strategic initiatives. However, Agrawal added that these sources alone were not enough to meet its expansion requirements.

“IIT Kanpur needs at least 3,000 additional hostel beds, new academic buildings and the renovation of existing infrastructure. Several campus buildings are more than 60 years old and require upgrades to support research and development,” he added.

Agrawal also cited the cost of infrastructure financing. IIT Kanpur had taken HEFA loans of close to Rs 1,000 crore, of which around Rs 500- Rs 600 crore has been repaid, according to the rough estimates shared by the official.

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IITK Kanpur alumni, industry outreach

The fundraising campaign will begin with a major event on the evening of October 14, which the official described as the first step in a wider outreach effort. IIT Kanpur has already begun speaking to alumni and plans to approach industry representatives and other donors are also underway.

“IIT Kanpur has built a network of alumni in the United States who are stepping forward to support fundraising efforts there. It also has an alumni group in India that will contribute to the campaign,” Agrawal stated.

He acknowledged that raising the remaining funds would be an ambitious undertaking and said the institute would need alumni, industry, government and other donors to work together to achieve the target.

The campaign is intended to provide funding for both physical infrastructure and the people needed to drive research in emerging areas. The institute’s expansion plans include new academic facilities, additional student accommodation, upgraded campus buildings and greater support for faculty members and research teams.

The institute has also been working on ways to attract and retain leading researchers. Agrawal stated, “Government salaries alone may not be sufficient to attract the best talent from across the world. IIT Kanpur has therefore created a scheme to provide faculty members with additional salary support, or top-ups, beyond government pay.”

IIT Kanpur to expand its schools

IIT Kanpur already has several schools, including School of Sustainability, the School of Medical Sciences and Technology, and the Wadhwani School of AI and Intelligent Systems. However, the institute plans to establish more schools to strengthen its presence in the seven strategic areas.

“We have proposed a School of Defence Technologies and a School of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing and space technology and research is also part of the institute’s plans,” added Agrawal.

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“We are essentially venturing into these strategic areas and aiming to raise funds to support initiatives, backed by the necessary infrastructure and people,” he said, adding that discussions on some of the proposed schools are still underway.

Another person aware of the campaign told Careers360 that the campaign will support building on research and development in frontier technologies. “These research priorities would require substantial funding as IIT Kanpur looks to change how it teaches and approaches traditional courses, particularly in frontier technology.”

“The institute has been making decisions over the past year to overhaul aspects of its teaching and research approach,” the person stated.