Indian American philanthropist-entrepreneur Sunil Wadhwani has made a substantial donation of US$ 13,256,848 to his alma mater, IIT Madras, for the establishment of the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI. This generous gift, marked by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Wadhwani and IIT Madras Director Professor V. Kamakoti, is regarded as one of the largest contributions by an alumnus to create a school at an Indian educational institution.
The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI aspires to become a leading global institution in the field. Beyond academic pursuits, its vision extends to providing guidance to government officials and policymakers on matters related to data science and AI policies.
Scheduled to commence admissions in July 2024, the school will offer a range of programs, including a BTech program in AI and data analytics, an MTech program in data science and AI, MS and Ph.D. programs in data science and AI, a Joint MSc in data science and AI in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, UK, and various other interdisciplinary programs.
Sunil Wadhwani, a Pittsburgh-based entrepreneur, expressed his pride in being associated with IIT Madras and highlighted India’s potential to become a global leader in AI and allied sciences.
Wadhwani, the founder-donor of WISH Foundation, has made significant contributions to healthcare in India through over 300 technology-enabled clinics. Previously, he co-founded and served as the CEO of iGate Corporation, which was sold for US$ 4.5 billion in 2015. Additionally, Wadhwani has served on the boards of esteemed educational institutions, including Carnegie-Mellon University, George Washington University, and United Way Worldwide.
In recent endeavors, Wadhwani established Wadhwani AI, a program under the AI Unit of the National Entrepreneurship Network. This initiative developed an AI-based cough sound analysis technology to identify potential COVID-19 patients, even those who are asymptomatic, before resorting to lab-based tests.
