BITS Pilani Endowment Fund Crosses USD 54 Million Mark

UPDATE - follow-up to BITS Pilani raises USD 54 million through endowment drive in 23 months: Group VC Ramgopal Rao: BITS Pilani's endowment fund crossed USD 54 million in 23 months toward its USD 100 million target, according to group Vice Chancellor V Ramgopal Rao.

Giving Numbers

More than 24 individual alumni and alumni batches pledged USD one million or more each. Annual alumni giving reached a record Rs 82 crore in the financial year 2025 to 2026. This represents a 43 per cent increase over the previous year and is nearly 90 times the level recorded when the Alumni Relations Office was set up in the financial year 2017 to 2018. Cumulative alumni contributions total Rs 256 crore.

Campus Impact

Contributions funded six new research centres across Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad focusing on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean energy, social and rural innovation, smart electronics manufacturing and advanced materials. Two more centres in space technologies and AI diagnostics are currently under construction. Funds also support over 300 scholarships, including 188 given to female students over the past two years. Twenty-five PhD scholars receive support, with 11 getting a monthly stipend of Rs. 60,000 through the PhD DRIVE fellowship. Five endowed chair professorships and several awards for teaching and research excellence were also established.

Context

University endowment funds rely on philanthropic contributions from graduates to build long-term financial stability for academic and research expansion. Educational institutions in India increasingly look to alumni networks to fund advanced campus infrastructure and student financial aid.