As part of their silver jubilee reunion celebration, the 1998 batch of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay has made a contribution of Rs 57 crore to their alma mater, marking the highest donation by a single class. This surpasses the previous record of Rs 41 crore donated by the class of 1971 during their golden jubilee celebration.
Over 200 alumni made significant contributions, with major donations coming from prominent global executives such as Apoorv Saxena, managing director of private equity firm Silver Lake, Shailendra Singh, managing director of Peak XV, Anupam Banerjee, managing director of Vector Capital, Dileep George from AI Research, Google DeepMind, Mohan Lakahmraju, CEO of Great Learning, Manu Varma, Senior Vice President of Coloplast, Sundar Iyer, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Sandeep Joshi, Co-founder and CEO of Indovance, and Srikant Shetty, Chief Growth Officer, Americas, at HCL.
On December 24, 2023, IIT Bombay commemorated Alumni Day, coinciding with the silver jubilee reunion of the Class of 1998. The Class of 1998's donation surpasses the noteworthy contribution made by the Class of 1971 during their Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The funds raised by the Class of 1998 will play a pivotal role in supporting key academic projects and shaping the research landscape at IIT Bombay. These initiatives include Project Evergreen, focusing on sustainable and eco-friendly hostels; Makerspace labs to foster innovation and creativity; and Student Aid programs, including scholarships, to support the aspirations of future generations.
Additionally, the funds will contribute to IIT Bombay's ambitious 2030 vision of ranking among the top 50 universities globally and establishing a legacy of excellence on the international stage.