IIT Madras has received a generous endowment of Rs 110 crore from Sunil Wadhwani, co-founder of iGate Corporation and an alumnus of the institute. This funding will establish the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, aimed at advising policymakers and government on related policy areas. The school will offer programs starting from July 2024, including a Joint MSc in Data Science and AI with the University ofBirmingham, UK, and an international interdisciplinary masters program. It will focus on integrating research with applications in various sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, smart cities, transportation, and defense. This initiative is seen as critical given the importance of AI and Data Science in Industry 4.0. Sunil Wadhwani expressed his commitment to contributing to his alma mater and highlighted the potential for India to become a world leader in AI and allied sciences. Through his family foundation, Wadhwani Impact Trust, he has been supporting social welfare and scientific research, including initiatives like the Wadhwani Institute of Sustainable Healthcare and the Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence.

Source-IIT Madras