With the release of the NIRF 2024 ranking, IIT Madras is making headlines for its record-setting performance, securing the No. 1 position in the ‘Overall’ category for the sixth consecutive year and in the ‘Engineering’ category for the ninth consecutive year. Additionally, the institute has achieved the No. 2 ranking in both ‘Research’ and ‘Innovation.’ Established in 1959, IIT Madras continues to excel in all aspects, with a strong alumni network that remains connected to the institution’s legacy.
Recently, IIT Madras received its largest single donation to date: ₹228 crore from industrialist and alumnus Krishna Chivukula. This significant contribution is one of the largest ever made to an educational institution in India. The donation will support various initiatives, including scholarships for international students, a research excellence grant program, and an undergraduate fellowship program for new students.
I have been in America for 55 years. There, rich people donate crores for the development of the universities they study in. These funds are used for research by students. Coming from a poor family, IITs gave me an excellent education. I studied M.Tech at IIT Madras at 12.50 rupees. I have donated ₹5.10 crore earlier. One morning I suddenly thought of giving funds uniquely by keeping my share and its value in my company. Now I have given more funds.
Krishna Chivukula said at a special ceremony at IIT Madras campus
In recognition of this generous contribution, IIT Madras named an academic block in honour of Chivukula — the ‘Krishna Chivukula Block’ — during a campus event. Dr Krishna Chivukula had earned an M. Tech. in aeronautical engineering from IIT Madras in 1970, after earning his B. Tech degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Bombay in 1968. He later received an MBA from Harvard University in 1980 and a Doctor of Letters (D. Lit.) degree from Tumkur University in 2012.
The industrialist’s professional excellence and contributions to the community was recognised by IIT Madras in 2015 when it proudly conferred upon him the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’.
Krishna Chivukula with IITM director and other dignitaries | Photo Credit: IIT Madras
Professional strides
After moving to the United States 55 years ago, Dr Krishna Chivukula quickly advanced through the engineering ranks at Hoffman Industries, becoming Chief Engineer in 1976. Taking a break for an Harvard MBA, he returned to Hoffman Industries in 1984 as Group President and CEO but left in 1990 to start his first company, Shiva Technologies Inc., in Syracuse, New York, working hard to make it a global leader in trace element analysis using advanced mass spectroscopic techniques. In 1997, he established Shiva Analyticals Pvt Ltd. in Bangalore.
That same year, Dr Chivukula introduced state-of-the-art metal injection molding (MIM) technology to India by founding INDO US MIM Tec Pvt Ltd. in Bangalore. Today, INDO US MIM Tec is the world leader in MIM technology in terms of capacity and sales, employing over 2,000 highly-qualified personnel, including two Vice-Presidents who are IIT Madras alumni. The firm, the only large-scale MIM industry in India, has a projected turnover of nearly ₹1000 Crores and serves a global clientele across various industries, including industrial, consumer, and medical sectors. INDO US MIM Tec has received numerous international awards for excellence. In 2009, Dr Chivukula founded a third company, Gowri Ventures, specializing in high-precision investment castings in Renigunta.
Philanthropic endeavours
Dr Krishna Chivukula is well-known for his significant philanthropic activities. He sponsors a mid-day meal program for 2,200 primary and secondary school children in Bangalore, provides healthcare funding through Bangalore Baptist Hospital, and supports the Asha Foundation, which offers counselling and healthcare for HIV/AIDS patients. His one-million-dollar donation to Bangalore Baptist Hospital in 2006-07 funded a state-of-the-art operation theatre and laboratory facilities. In 2014, he adopted a school in Chamarajanagar near Mysore, covering all expenses for 300 children from economically weaker backgrounds, including orphans and destitute children.
