BITS Pilani Alumni Pledge $15M to $100M Endowment for Innovation and Excellence

21st August, 2024: BITS Pilani, an institution known for its commitment to innovation is in the process of announcing a $100 million endowment fund, from its alumni. More than $2.5 million in pledges was received by the institute from its alumni Prem Jain, M Sreenivasa Reddy and Preetish Nijhawan taking the total commitment for the endowment by alumni to more than $15 million.

These funds will enable BITS Pilani to take one more step towards the fulfillment of its mission by offering innovation and academic excellence. It will provide greater access to meritorious students to fulfill their dream of attaining education at BITS Pilani. The initiative will aim at pioneering research that will empower innovators of the future and scientists alike.

Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said, “Our alumni community has shown incredible enthusiasm for the BITS endowment fund. Their passion to participate both as individuals and collectively shows their deep commitment towards the future of BITS, Pilani. This generosity by these alumni leaders – Prem, Preetish, and Sreenivasa – is extremely inspiring. They are leading the way and showing everyone the power of coming together for their alma mater.”

Prem Jain, alumni of the 1968 batch and a serial entrepreneur based out of Bay area said “This contribution is about fueling the engine of progress at BITS Pilani. We need to empower the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to transform their vision into reality.”

According to M. Sreenivasa Reddy, chairman of Ektha Group, “Endowment funds have the potential to bring in a change in India’s education. Indeed, it is a great honor to be of support to BITS Pilani—a very close place to my heart. Let us create a world-class learning environment together for generations.”

Preetish Nijhawan, Chairperson of BITSAA International and co-founder, Cervin Ventures and former co-founder, Akamai Technologies, said “My four years at BITS Pilani were instrumental in preparing me for what life had in store – and the relationships I built are amongst the most sacred in my life. It is an honor to give back in a small way.”

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024 and with a network of five campuses and over 200,000 alumni worldwide, the institution continues to expand its reach and impact.