IIT Bombay Names Main Building After Alumnus Nandan Nilekani

The board of governors at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, has decided to dedicate the main building on the campus to Infosys Ltd. Co-founder Nandan Nilekani.

As part of its 65th founding year, IIT Bombay celebrated the occasion by unveiling the plaque of the main building in the presence of the institute's director, Subhasis Chaudhuri, Nilekani and his family members, and other dignitaries, according to its website.

"The building shall be henceforth named the 'Nandan Nilekani Main Building'," it said.

Nilekani, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, graduated in 1993 with a B.Tech., Electrical Engineering degree.

"I am deeply grateful to the Board of Governors of IIT Bombay for this incredible honour. IIT Bombay has immeasurably shaped my life, and I acknowledge the contributions of the team at IIT Bombay, alums, and everyone else who have enabled me to give forward to the institute," Nilekani said.

Last month, Nilekani donated Rs 315 crore to his alma mater to mark 50 years of his association with one of India's premier education institutions.

The donation, one of the largest by an alumnus in India, will be instrumental in fostering world-class infrastructure, stimulating research in emerging areas of engineering and technology, and nurturing a deep tech startup ecosystem at IIT Bombay, according to a joint statement by Nilekani and the institute.

Nilekani served on the board of the IIT Bombay Heritage Foundation from 1999 to 2009 and was on the board of governors from 2005 to 2011. His other contribution builds upon his previous grants of Rs 85 crore to the institute, taking his cumulative support to Rs 400 crore.