IIT Kanpur has launched a fundraising campaign targeting ₹9,500 crore by March 2029, with the money planned for research infrastructure, student support and technology-led entrepreneurship. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the ‘Greater Than Us’ campaign at Bharat Mandapam, while the institute said it had already received commitments worth ₹4,155 crore from alumni, companies, donors and the government.
The campaign is being described as the largest fundraising drive launched by an Indian Institute of Technology. Its stated objectives extend beyond campus expansion and include strengthening India’s capabilities in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cybersecurity and medical technology.
The campaign has been divided into three pillars: Foundation, Talent and Frontier. Foundation accounts for the largest share, with a target of ₹5,000 crore. The funds are intended for a central research facility, a semiconductor centre, a high-performance computing facility and student hostels. The Talent pillar has a target of ₹3,000 crore and is expected to support scholarships for students and incentives for researchers.
The Frontier pillar has been assigned a target of ₹1,000 crore. According to the report, it has already received commitments worth ₹1,556 crore. The institute said this part of the campaign would support the development and commercialisation of technologies emerging from its laboratories, including through new products and deep-technology companies.
The announcement also included a ₹180-crore commitment from alumnus Rahul Gautam for the proposed Gautam School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or G-SInE, at IIT Kanpur’s Noida campus. The school is scheduled to begin a technology and entrepreneurship MBA programme from July 2027, according to the report. It is expected to focus on areas including artificial intelligence, drones, biotechnology, digital health and cybersecurity.
The planned facilities place the campaign at the intersection of higher-education funding and public technology infrastructure. A high-performance computing facility and a semiconductor centre require specialised buildings, equipment and long-term operating support, while hostels and scholarships address the institutional capacity needed to attract and retain students and researchers. The institute has not provided, in the supplied report, a detailed construction schedule, procurement plan or break-up of the ₹4,155 crore already committed.
IIT Kanpur director Professor Manindra Agrawal said India could not remain dependent on other countries for the development of critical future technologies. The campaign, he said, aims to build research capacity and entrepreneurship that can generate technologies, products and deep-tech companies within the country.
At the launch, Rajnath Singh said major institutions take decades to build and that successive generations must strengthen the foundations created by earlier ones. The institute’s immediate target is to complete the ₹9,500-crore fundraising drive by March 2029, while the proposed G-SInE programme is scheduled to begin in July 2027.
