The Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani (BITS Pilani) has received a $1 million (Rs 8.40 crore) contribution from an alumni couple Ravinder Kumar Bhat and Sumita Desarkar. While Bhat is from the 1978 batch, Desarkar is from the 1981 batch. The fresh pledge by the alumni couple takes the total commitment for the endowment of the institute to more than $18 million now. Desarkar and Bhat are serial entrepreneurs based in the UAE. Over the course of their two-decade residency, as per BITS Pilani, they have established businesses across various sectors, including construction, commodity trading, infrastructure, and oil and gas equipment and event management. This donation, under the ‘Sumita Desarkar and Ravinder K. Bhat Fund for Institutional Development, is part of the proposed $100 million BITS Pilani Endowment Fund and is aimed at driving institutional growth and supporting innovation. The alumni couple said: "BITS Pilani has profoundly shaped our personal and professional journeys not only through its world-class educators, and instilling a strong work ethic but also through the network which we developed and still strongly maintain." “We are honored to give forward to the institute that laid the foundation for our careers and growth with the hope that this contribution will further the legacy of excellence and create new opportunities for future generations,” they added. This fund seeks to facilitate upgradation of labs, infrastructure enhancements, research initiatives and the overall educational experience to the students across BITS Pilani’s campuses, helping the institute achieve its mission of academic excellence and innovation, a statement issued by BITS Pilani said. Expressing gratitude, Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani, said: “We are deeply grateful for this support. This fund will greatly enhance our efforts towards academic and infrastructural development, pushing the institute toward new horizons.”
