Vedanta Plans World Class Higher Educational Institute In Puri, Says Anil Agarwal

Vedanta Ltd. chairman Anil Agarwal on Monday said there is a big opportunity for higher education in India and his group has a plan to set up such a world-class institute in Odisha's Puri.

It will be a not-for-profit, digital-first university with the best faculty and students from India and abroad, he said.

"Amidst global uncertainty, there is a big opportunity for India, beyond manufacturing. Higher education. More and more Indians want a world class education. The West is closing its doors. The 800 Indian students at Harvard are facing this unfortunate circumstance. We should create Harvards and MITs in India. Universities built on a large scale with global standards," Agarwal said in a post on X.

He said, "Vedanta has a plan for one such institution based on the waterfront in Odisha near Puri. It will be a not-for-profit, digital-first university with the best faculty and students from India and abroad. Students from less privileged backgrounds will get full financial support." He said land should not become a problem for setting up such universities.

Agarwal said, "Land should not become a constraint for building large Universities. The returns to society will be phenomenal. Let us seize this opportunity to be a leader in knowledge and research, occupy the space other countries are letting go of."

During the Utkarsh Odisha, Make-in-Odisha conclave in January this year, Agarwal had stated that Vedanta Group was looking for an appropriate land to set up a world-class non-profit university in Odisha, with a preference for Puri.

Earlier during the BJD government on July 19, 2006, Vedanta signed an MoU with the state to set up a university in the Puri-Konark Marine Drive area of Puri district.

A total of 3,342.53 acres of private land were allocated for the project, and 692.02 acres of government land were sought for lease.

However, seven families, facing displacement due to a project, approached the Orissa High Court, which ruled that the land acquisition for the Anil Agarwal Foundation violated Section 40(1)(a) of the Land Acquisition Act and asked the company to return the land to the landowners.

Challenging the judgment, the Foundation and the Odisha government went to the Supreme Court. However, in April 2024, the apex court upheld the high court’s decision.