The Class of 2000 alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has committed ₹100 crore to establish a new academic unit at the institute, named the Millennium School of Technology and Society (MSTAS). The announcement was made during the batch’s silver jubilee reunion held in Kanpur.
Focus of the New School
According to the institute, MSTAS will focus on the intersection of technology, public policy, ethics, and societal impact. The proposed school is intended to complement IIT Kanpur’s core strengths in engineering and science by adding a structured academic and research focus on how technology shapes governance, institutions, and society at large.
Significance of the Contribution
The pledge is among the largest contributions made by a single graduating batch to an Indian academic institution. IIT Kanpur said the initiative reflects a long-term commitment to institution building rather than short-term programme funding.
Profile of the Millennium Batch
Often referred to as the Millennium Batch, the Class of 2000 has a strong presence in entrepreneurship and global technology leadership. Alumni from the cohort have founded or co-founded companies including InMobi and Glance, NoBroker, Yulu, Knowlarity, and Card91, and have been associated with ventures such as Cohesity and Martini. Some members were also early employees at WhatsApp.
Corporate and Leadership Representation
Several alumni from the batch have held senior leadership roles at global organisations such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Intel, BCG, Morgan Stanley, and GIC. The cohort has produced three unicorns InMobi, Glance, and NoBroker making it the most successful batch from IIT Kanpur in terms of unicorn creation so far.
Individual Contributions and Next Steps
As part of the collective pledge, Naveen Tewari, founder and chief executive officer of InMobi and Glance, has committed ₹30 crore individually. IIT Kanpur said the timeline, governance structure, and operational details of MSTAS will be outlined in the coming months as the institute works with alumni to formalise the school’s launch.
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