IIT Madras to set up Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI with Rs 110 crore endowment from alumnus

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras) today said it has received an endowment of Rs 110 crore from Sunil Wadhwani, co-founder of the iGate Corporation and an alumnus of IIT Madras. The funds will be used to set up the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI.

The agreement to set up the school was signed between Sunil Wadhwani and IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, in the presence of faculty, students, alumni, and researchers. Wadhwani School aims to advise the government and policymakers on data science and artificial intelligence-related policy areas.

The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI will offer the following programmes:

• BTech in AI and Data Analytics
• MTech in Data Science and AI
• MS and PhD in Data Science and AI
• International interdisciplinary Masters in Data Science
• Interdisciplinary dual degree in data science
• Web-enabled MTech in Industrial AI

The admissions for these programmes will start in July 2024. The school will also run a Joint MSc in Data Science and AI with the University of Birmingham, UK, admitting 30 students and an international interdisciplinary masters programme.

Interdisciplinary research

This new School will integrate core and fundamental research with application research in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, smart cities, transportation, financial analytics, manufacturing, energy and environment, defence, education and systems biology.

Highlighting the need for such a school, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti said, “With the advent of Industry 4.0, wherein AI and Data Science are the main movers, the need for a school for data science and AI is critical. IIT Madras has started this highly interdisciplinary school involving faculty from many departments joining hands to work on niche areas, including Responsible AI.”

Need for data science, AI school

Sunil Wadhwani said, “AI and social impact are close to my heart, and it’s my honour to be contributing to my alma mater. I see a strong need for a dedicated data science and AI school focusing on foundational and applied research in these areas. With the advancements in science and technology, India holds immense potential and can be a world leader in AI and allied sciences.”

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Sunil Wadhwani, through his family foundation, Wadhwani Impact Trust, has been supporting social welfare, affordable healthcare, and scientific research through the Wadhwani Institute of Sustainable Healthcare (WISH Foundation) and Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence (WIAI), respectively.

The WISH Foundation has impacted over 30 million lives across eight states in India by making quality healthcare accessible to economically challenged people.