Mr. Ashish Karandikar, US-based alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has donated 200,000 USD, equivalent to ₹1,60,00,000 to his alma mater, to establish three endowed programs aimed at fostering innovation, excellence, and academic growth within the Electrical Engineering department at IIT Kanpur.

The programs have been initiated by signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mr. Karandikar, IIT Kanpur, and the IITK Foundation, USA. Mr. Karandikar (BT/EE/1995) is the brother of Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, former Director and alumnus of IIT Kanpur.

The three endowments include Smt. Lata and Shri K.G. Karandikar Faculty Chair, awarded to IITK faculty, empowering them to drive ground-breaking research and mentor future generations of engineers; Karandikar Best Ph.D. Thesis Award, recognizing outstanding scholarly contributions celebrating exceptional doctoral theses, and encouraging innovation and academic rigor among doctoral candidates; Karandikar Student Scholarship, aiming to nurture and support students, providing them with financial assistance to pursue their academic endeavors, and making significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering.

On this occasion, Prof. S. Ganesh, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “We are grateful to Mr. Ashish Karandikar for this kind gesture which makes him part of a distinguished legacy of alumni who have contributed generously to the institution. The setting up of these endowed programs will pave the way for newer avenues of growth for our faculty, researchers, and students of the EE Department alike, thereby also contributing to the flourishing R&D ecosystem at the institute."

Mr. Ashish Karandikar, currently the Vice President at NVIDIA, said, “I fundamentally believe that education has the power to change lives. It certainly has changed mine and IIT education has played a significant role in that. Electrical engineering is my passion and both of us, Abhay and I, wanted to contribute back to the electrical Engineering Department and IIT, and are thankful for the opportunity to contribute back.”

Dr. Abhay Karandikar (MT/PhD/EE/1988/1995), brother of Mr. Ashish Karandikar said, “The Electrical Engineering Department is currently one of the largest in the institute, and a large number of faculty members are doing exceptional work. We believe that setting up a faculty chair will help in contributing more to the promising research landscape. Also, we always reward the undergraduate students; there are fewer awards for PhD students and hence we thought will provide an award for the best PhD thesis award in the electrical engineering department. I hope it will encourage alumni for installing awards in other departments too. The scholarship for undergraduate students is something that Ashish really felt strongly about.”

Prof. Kantesh Balani, Dean of Resources and Alumni, IIT Kanpur said, "Such a generous support from Mr. Ashish Karandikar is sincerely applauded. Institution of these awards will witness impactful results including acknowledgment of deserving faculty and promoting students to pursue cutting-edge doctoral research while providing scholarships to needy students and enriching their experience at IIT Kanpur. With generous contribution of Mr. Karandikar, such an overarching and timely support will be highly helpful in assisting the growing needs of IIT Kanpur.”

The substantial donations of IIT Kanpur alumni have played a crucial role in fortifying the financial foundation of the institute, enabling the realization of key initiatives, and fostering an environment conducive to academic excellence. This collective spirit of generosity among the alumni community has left an indelible mark on IIT Kanpur, ensuring a sustained legacy of impactful contributions that benefit both the present and future generations of students and researchers.