The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on Wednesday launched its fundraising campaign, Greater Than Us, with ₹ 4,155 crore already committed towards its ₹ 5,000 crore target by 2029, making it the largest fundraising campaign undertaken by any IIT. The institute, which set the target in October 2024, has achieved about 77% of its goal and expects to meet it by early next year and funds will be used to expand research infrastructure, attract global talent and develop indigenous technologies in strategic sectors.
The institute has identified seven strategic areas — artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, drone technologies, medical technologies, sustainability, semiconductors and quantum technologies — based on its expertise and the country’s requirements. The Talent pillar will support scholarships, doctoral fellowships, faculty chairs and visiting faculty programmes, with the aim of providing financial assistance to every eligible student. Under the Foundation pillar, the institute plans to build a ₹ 524 crore central research facility, a ₹ 200 crore high-performance computing facility and advanced semiconductor research infrastructure. Other projects include four student hostels, each with a capacity of 1,000, faculty housing and a centre for mental health and wellbeing. Frontier, which has already secured ₹ 1,556 crore against its ₹ 1,000 crore target, will fund projects in quantum technology, semiconductor packaging, medical-device development and drug discovery.
Agrawal said the initiative stemmed from a strategic plan developed three years ago to strengthen the infrastructure and talent needed to develop indigenous technologies.
