IITians have once again taken the centre stage as IIT Bombay announced that it has received a record donation of around a whopping USD 3.6 Million in 2020-21. The donations, pooled in by its alumni network in the USA, have come off as a relief to the institute that has been recording a loss of over Rs 100 Cr annually for the last four years.

While IITians have always maintained a close alliance and massively contributed to their alma maters, their contribution towards the country at large cannot be overstated too. Many of them have gone on to prove that technology is at the core of their ventures and making the world a better place is their goal.

One such example is iB Hubs, a Hyderabad-based organisation of 500-odd members who are not only alumni of IITs but also IIM and NIT. iB Hubs’ mission is to make India a global leader in 4.0 technology. Inspired by the vision of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the organisation has stepped up in offering free classes on 4.0 technology to over 1 Cr students across the country. Launched in 2017, the classes are designed for young minds to help them shape their ideas into reality and foster entrepreneurship amongst them. What is so distinctive about iB Hubs is that many of its members quit their high-paying jobs in multinational companies to start an endeavour that was to change the future of thousands of students one day.

Not exactly along the same lines as iHubs but one that is also working towards bettering the world is Boundary Holdings. Founded by Rajat Khare, an IIT Delhi alumnus, the company aims to accelerate the growth of start-ups with revolutionary business ideas within the deep-tech space. While some of its investees work towards the global environment, others have been bringing about a transformation in their respective sectors through avant-garde technology. The Rajat Khare -founded firm boasts of several companies from around the world in its investment portfolio.

There are numerous IIT alumni-led companies that have chosen the innovative path to cater to mankind. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, we have witnessed several such firms going above and beyond to help the people – from deploying aerial robots for spraying disinfectants, to launching an online portal to help the students sitting for competitive exams reach their exam centres conveniently. All these can be attributed to one thing – a group of institutes defining India’s unique education system that has stood the test of time.