Rakesh Gangwal commits additional ₹300 crore to IIT Kanpur medical school
IndiGo co-founder and IIT Kanpur alumnus Rakesh Gangwal has committed an additional ₹300 crore to his alma mater for the further development of the Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, a statement said on Monday.
This latest contribution follows his earlier donation of ₹100 crore in 2022, which supported the institute's plans to establish a medical school on campus. With this new commitment, Gangwal's cumulative contribution to the school now stands at ₹400 crore.
As part of the pledge, Gangwal will provide matching grants of up to ₹300 crore against contributions from other supporters towards the development of the school. The matching grant model is designed to encourage wider support from alumni and philanthropists, according to reports.
"It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this innovative and first-of-its-kind medical institution," Gangwal was quoted as saying in the statement.
The school's development plans include a 500-bed super-speciality hospital on the IIT Kanpur campus, along with a proposed 200-bed cancer care research centre. These facilities are envisioned to support medical education, clinical research and healthcare delivery, while creating opportunities for doctors, researchers, engineers and technology experts to work together on emerging healthcare challenges.
IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal expressed gratitude for Gangwal's continued support, noting that the earlier contribution of ₹100 crore in 2022 greatly helped the institute set its plans in motion. "This additional contribution of ₹300 crore by Gangwal will help us bring this vision into reality sooner," he said.
The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology brings together IIT Kanpur's strengths in engineering, science and technology with medical sciences, focusing on advanced academic programmes, interdisciplinary research, futuristic medicine and MedTech innovation.
Times Now, one of the outlets reporting on the announcement, described IIT Kanpur as one of India's leading engineering institutes and an Institution of National Importance, noting that the institute has been expanding into interdisciplinary areas such as medical sciences in recent years. The outlet also quoted the recently appointed Dean of the school, Anil K Lalwani, who described the contribution as a "historic" step.
Director Agrawal further said the additional support would help the institute move faster on its plans, especially in using interdisciplinary research and innovation to transform healthcare delivery across India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.